“Survive Style 5+” is a 2004 Japanese film directed by Gen Sekiguchi. The plot revolves around five different interconnected stories that offer a mixture of black comedy, fantasy and absurd reality.
The story begins with a businessman named Amano who keeps killing his wife only to bring her back to life. He is assisted in this by an eccentric hypnotist who has his own agenda. In another plot, a killer and his mysterious partner try to murder a hip-hop dancer, but he turns out to be immortal, leading to a series of bizarre and surreal confrontations.
Another plotline revolves around a housewife who is tricked into becoming a model by a hypnotised man. She undergoes a radical transformation and develops a strange relationship with a man who believes he is a bird. In parallel, an advertising director is drawn into a surreal world where a green goblin teaches him how to discover the true art of living.
The film’s most absurd scenes include the wife’s repeated killings and reanimations by her husband, leading to bizarre situations and ironic twists. The film’s unconventional approach to violence and death, combined with a dose of black humour, gives it a unique and often disturbing atmosphere. Equally noteworthy is the portrayal of the immortal dancer, who is seemingly invulnerable and survives in absurd situations.
