Sound of Summer

Director - Guy (Difficulty Breathing, The Rope Maiden)

Starring - Shinya Hankawa, Kaori Hoshino, and Kiyomi Kametani 

Release Date - 2022

Genre - Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I’ve been lucky enough to review Unearthed Film’s releases for several years now. While I don’t always enjoy the films sent my way for review I still respect the absolute legend that is Stephen Biro. He brings movies that only a specific set of genre fans want to the masses allowing many to experience films they normally would miss out on. While I love seeing these unusual and often overlooked films get a physical release from a major label, I would be lying if I said I loved them all. Some of the films just don’t have enough to hold my attention. A year or so ago Unearthed started releasing some CatIII and pinku films on blu. I was extremely interested in these films as they are both recent interests of mine after I started branching out to international cinema. Several weeks back Unearthed released the 2022 Japanese film The Sound of Summer from filmmaker Guy. The trailer really pulled me in so I reached out to MVD, who was handling the release for UF, and they were kind enough to send a copy my way. I want to thank MVD and Unearthed Films for sending this one over. 

      The film follows two female shop clerks who find themselves working through the unbearable heat of summer. To make matters worse, the cicadas are hatching and with it comes their unbearable screeching. One of the locals is obsessed with the bug and often collects them in one of his many enclosures which he brings with him as he walks around town. One of the women starts to have episodes where her skin would rash up and itch. Before long she is convinced that the Cicada Man has planted cicada eggs in her and they are eating her from the inside out. As the heat bears down during the long summer days she finds her mental health declining resulting in paranoia, hallucinations, and body mutilation. 

      The Sound of Summer made me think I was getting into a brutal and gory torture film that followed a killer known as the Cicada Man. Instead, what we get is a film about a woman struggling with mental illness during the hot days of summer in Japan. I wanted to loved this one but as much as I love and respect Biro I have to be honest with anyone reading this. The Sound of Summer is extremely… dull. The acting in this one is one of the better aspects of the film. The characters are very generic but the cast does a fantastic job with the characters they were cast to portray. While the film didn't really pull me in I did find myself captivated in a few scenes by the cast and how into the scene they were. With that being said, the cast is fairly small and we don't have a lot of scenes with memorable performances. The story for this one is a mix between Japanese underground and Cronenberg. We follow a woman who has a dislike for the cicadas who have awaken after their 17 year hibernation which coincides with the Cicada Man who is roaming around collecting his little friends to put in boxes. This arrival of the cicadas awakens a fear inside her and before long she claws her body apart to remove cicadas that she thinks are in her. If the film would have relied more on her mental disability and the body mutilation then it could have been interesting enough. However, the film is a bit dull as it is.  Finally, the film has a lot of practical effects.  The make-up effects work which makes some of the later scenes even more gruesome but the lack of story makes the effects feel underwhelming.  Overall, The Sound of Summer could have been something gruesome and entertaining but the story drops the ball.  It looks good and I like the cast but the film comes up short.  I can recommend at least a dozen more Unearthed releases to check out instead of this one.