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TADFF Review: ‘I Am a Hero’ Rises to Meet its Incredible Potential

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I Am a Hero

Horror films give us a glimpse into the heroic potential that lives inside us all. Heroes of horror don’t need the tools and training of an expert secret agent – they’re everyday people thrown into an unreal situation who must rise to the occasion if they hope to survive. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them. I Am a Hero is the wildly entertaining tale of a man who is woefully unprepared for that kind of responsibility.

I Am a Hero (based on the manga series of the same name) follows Hideo Suzuki (Yô Ôizumi, Spirited Away, Fullmetal Alchemist), a mild-mannered 35-year old manga artist assistant with low self-esteem and unfulfilled dreams. He’s deeply unsatisfied with his life – as is his girlfriend, who kicks him out of their shared apartment. Hideo is left with no safe haven as the volatile ZQN virus wreaks havoc through the city (though he is – at first – comically oblivious to the chaos around him).

When fleeing the city, Hideo meets a young woman named Hiromi (Kasumi Arimura, Samurai Angel Wars) who he vows to protect. Despite his best intentions, Hideo is not immediately suited for heroism. Armed with his sporting shotgun and faced with a world full of danger, Hideo must find the courage to step up for their survival.

via IMDb

In I Am a Hero, the ZQN virus turns its infected into zombified shells of their former selves. When they’re not consuming the flesh of the living, the infected show echoes of their humanity by repeating habitual actions; commuters ride an invisible subway while competitive athletes go through the motions of their former sport.

This characteristic of the virus is a clever way to redirect the usual shambling, mindless nature of the undead, and it makes each transformation uniquely horrific.

One particular scene early in the film shows an infected woman as she unnaturally contorts her body, thrashing around in attack. It’s brilliantly traumatic and very personal – like the spider walk in The Exorcist if Regan was completely dedicated to eating you alive.

via IMDb

Director Shinsuke Sato (Bleach, The Princess Blade) uses great skill to add visually affecting scenes that remind the viewer of the epic, dramatic scale of the outbreak. Other times, he will punch emotion into the chaos with quiet, focused character moments. Hideo’s fear and anxiety are well communicated thanks to Sato’s direction and Ôizumi’s stunning performance.

The talented Ôizumi is very effective as he leads Hideo on an emotional journey. We initially see his shortcomings as a fantastic point of humor, but as society continues to collapse, it is clear that Hideo is not built for this dark new world.

I Am a Hero speaks to our natural desire to be great – a champion for ourselves and others – and the crushing defeat that comes with the realization that you’re not meeting your own expectations.

Hideo finally makes a decision that culminates in a phenomenal finale that blasts away the psychological remnants of his former life.

via IMDb

The film’s climax also contains some of the most deeply satisfying zombie kills I’ve seen in a long time. There’s a joyful emotional payoff connected to each bashed skull. It’s a scene that runs long – it feels long – but it drives home the exhaustion of this last stand.

I Am a Hero is a viciously entertaining zombie film with a triumphant transformation. It’s a story about courage – about risk and breaking a lifelong acceptance of “average”. The zombie outbreak may be the end of the world, but for Hideo, it’s a new beginning.

 

I Am a Hero is now available on DVD. You can watch the trailer below!

via IMDb

For more from Toronto After Dark, check out our reviews for Anna and the Apocalypse and Tigers Are Not Afraid.

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Editorial

Yay or Nay: What’s Good and Bad in Horror This Week

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Horror Movies

Welcome to Yay or Nay a weekly mini post about what I think is good and bad news in the horror community written in bite-sized chunks. 

Yay:

Mike Flanagan talking about directing the next chapter in the Exorcist trilogy. That might mean he saw the last one and realized there were two left and if he does anything well it’s draw out a story. 

Yay:

To the announcement of a new IP-based film Mickey Vs Winnie. It’s fun to read comical hot takes from people who haven’t even seen the movie yet.

Nay:

The new Faces of Death reboot gets an R rating. It’s not really fair — Gen-Z should get an unrated version like past generations so they can question their mortality the same as the rest of us did. 

Yay:

Russell Crowe is doing another possession movie. He’s quickly becoming another Nic Cage by saying yes to every script, bringing the magic back to B-movies, and more money into VOD. 

Nay:

Putting The Crow back in theaters for its 30th anniversary. Re-releasing classic movies at the cinema to celebrate a milestone is perfectly fine, but doing so when the lead actor in that film was killed on set due to neglect is a cash grab of the worst kind. 

The Crow
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The Top-Searched Free Horror/Action Movies on Tubi This Week

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The free streaming service Tubi is a great place to scroll when you’re unsure what to watch. They are not sponsored or affiliated with iHorror. Still, we really appreciate their library because it’s so robust and has many obscure horror movies so rare you can’t find them anywhere in the wild except, if you’re lucky, in a moist cardboard box at a yard sale. Other than Tubi, where else are you going to find Nightwish (1990), Spookies (1986), or The Power (1984)?

We take a look at the most searched horror titles on the platform this week, hopefully, to save you some time in your endeavor to find something free to watch on Tubi.

Interestingly at the top of the list is one of the most polarizing sequels ever made, the female-led Ghostbusters reboot from 2016. Perhaps viewers have seen the latest sequel Frozen Empire and are curious about this franchise anomaly. They will be happy to know it’s not as bad as some think and is genuinely funny in spots.

So take a look at the list below and tell us if you are interested in any of them this weekend.

1. Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters (2016)

An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.

2. Rampage

When a group of animals becomes vicious after a genetic experiment goes awry, a primatologist must find an antidote to avert a global catastrophe.

3. The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren uncover an occult conspiracy as they help a defendant argue that a demon forced him to commit murder.

4. Terrifier 2

After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to Miles County, where his next victims, a teenage girl and her brother, await.

5. Don’t Breathe

A group of teens breaks into a blind man’s home, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect crime but get more than they bargained for once inside.

6. The Conjuring 2

In one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, Lorraine and Ed Warren help a single mother of four in a house plagued by sinister spirits.

7. Child’s Play (1988)

A dying serial killer uses voodoo to transfer his soul into a Chucky doll which winds up in the hands of a boy who may be the doll’s next victim.

8. Jeepers Creepers 2

When their bus breaks down on a deserted road, a team of high school athletes discovers an opponent they cannot defeat and may not survive.

9. Jeepers Creepers

After making a horrific discovery in the basement of an old church, a pair of siblings find themselves the chosen prey of an indestructible force.

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Morticia & Wednesday Addams Join Monster High Skullector Series

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Believe it or not, Mattel’s Monster High doll brand has an immense following with both young and not-so-young collectors. 

In that same vein, the fan base for The Addams Family is also very large. Now, the two are collaborating to create a line of collectible dolls that celebrate both worlds and what they have created is a combination of fashion dolls and goth fantasy. Forget Barbie, these ladies know who they are.

The dolls are based on Morticia and Wednesday Addams from the 2019 Addams Family animated movie. 

As with any niche collectibles these aren’t cheap they bring with them a $90 price tag, but it’s an investment as a lot of these toys become more valuable over time. 

“There goes the neighborhood. Meet the Addams Family’s ghoulishly glamorous mother-daughter duo with a Monster High twist. Inspired by the animated movie and clad in spiderweb lace and skull prints, the Morticia and Wednesday Addams Skullector doll two-pack makes for a gift that’s so macabre, it’s downright pathological.”

If you want to pre-purchase this set check out The Monster High website.

Wednesday Addams Skullector doll
Wednesday Addams Skullector doll
Footwear for Wednesday Addams Skullector doll
Morticia Addams Skullector doll
Morticia Addams doll shoes
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