Human Hibachi: The Beginning

Director - Mario Cerrito (Human Hibachi, Deadly Gamble)

Starring - Nicholas Ear, Ilana Lo, and Wataru Nishida (The Human Chair, The Porns)

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Bamboo can penetrate concrete.  Imagine what it can do to a human body"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     A few years ago I was introduced to the indie found footage film Human Hibachi. The title was absolutely brilliant and I was very interested in the film but I was reluctant to watch it. I’m not a found footage fan. In fact, most of you know how I often avoid the sub-genre altogether. However, the first Human Hibachi and it’s sequel are solid found footage entries. I’ve seen them several times now by this point and highly recommend them to found footage enthusiasts. A few weeks back filmmaker Mario Cerrito reached out to review his newest entry in the series, Human Hibachi: The Beginning. This short film serves as a prequel to the first film and is now streaming on Troma Now. I want to thank Mario for sending this one over. 

      The film follows several people who have someone tied to a chair surrounded by sprouting bamboo. He refuses to cooperate with them so they leave him there for several hours with the bamboo still growing. When they return later they find his lifeless body with several bamboo sprouts protruding from it. 

      Human Hibachi: The Beginning does take the viewer back to before the first film but is it an effective prequel? Honestly, this is the weakest of the three films but it’s not a horrible movie. In fact, it’s a decent enough short but it does have some big shoes to fill. The acting in this one is solid. The cast, which appears to be local Japanese actors, do a great job but the interactions and dialogue is short lived and one sides. I can’t really go to in depth with this one due to the short run time and the action taking place doesn’t give me much room to judge character portrayals and so on but I did like what I saw. The story for this one is decent as a torture porn or a straight forward found footage/faux snuff film but as a prequel to Human Hibachi I feel like it falls short.  While we see the ending monologue connect this one to the first film that is all we have between the two.  It's not the same premise as the first film where this one seems to be a revenge killing with no cannibalism.  It just doesn't feel like a solid prequel but would be a bit more enjoyable if it was a stand alone film.  Finally, the film has some make-up effects that work for the film but they are rather classic gags that don't really stand out.  It's not a bloody film but the effects look good.  Overall, Human Hibachi: The Beginning doesn't surpass the previous films but it's still a solid enough entry.  I would have liked to see the short take a different approach to a prequel but it's still a decent enough horror short.  Check it out especially if you are a fan of found footage or the original Human Hibachi films.