Review: New Group

[The following review contains MINOR SPOILERS; YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!]

New Group is a film about the horrors of conformity. The theme of collectivism gone awry is woven into every image. Symmetrical compositions abound, from sprawling grids of suburban homes to neatly arranged rows of desks. High schoolers bow, march, and chant in meticulously practiced unison, drilled ad nauseam by tyrannical authority figures. And then, of course, there’s the bluntly literal manifestation of the story’s central conflict: a towering human pyramid that spontaneously materializes in the middle of a soccer field, supernaturally compelling the protagonist’s psychologically malleable classmates to join in its construction, thus forming a truly singular “student body.”

It would be easy to pursue this novel premise to a morally simplistic conclusion; fortunately, director Yuta Shimotsu’s execution is more nuanced than you might expect. While the movie certainly explores the dangers of submitting to social pressure, that doesn’t mean it promotes the sort of rigid "every man for himself" individualism that leads to… well, the current political climate in the United States, for lack of a better frame of reference. No man is an island, after all; being a “free thinker” needn’t require standing alone—indeed, defying the corrupt systems of power that demand blind obedience, unwavering loyalty, and the utter surrender of personal agency benefits from a multitude of diverse voices and perspectives joining together for a common purpose.

The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival’s program notes describe New Group as reminiscent of Junji Ito, which I would normally consider to be a rather reductive observation. In this case, however, the shoe actually kind of fits: like the manga author’s best work, it offers a delightfully subversive blend of eerie visuals, absurdist humor, and (perhaps the most important ingredient, though it is often overlooked even by self-proclaimed “hardcore” fans) razor-sharp satire. Is its message subtle? Not remotely—but that doesn’t make it any less compelling, insightful, or relevant.