A man who falls down a manhole on the night before his wedding seeks the help of social media to escape in #Manhole. Shunsuke Kawamura (Yûto Nakajima) is a successful real estate broker who attends a surprise bachelor’s party on the night before his wedding, orchestrated by his co-worker Etsurô Kase (Kento Nagayama). On this way home, Shunsuke falls and awakes at the bottom of an old manhole with an injured leg. Unable to get in touch with anyone on the phone, except for uncooperative ex-girlfriend Mai Kudô (Nao), Shunsuke posts to social media under the pseudonym “Manhole Girl” to find out where exactly he fell down.
#Manhole Synopsis
#Manhole is an isolated thriller directed by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri. Similar to films such as Buried and 127 Hours, the bulk of the plot focuses on the protagonist of Shunsuke Kawamura alone in the manhole, with his only contact with the outside world being through his phone. Shunsuke quickly learns that falling into this manhole may not have been an accident and might in fact be tied to a dark secret from his past.
My Thoughts on #Manhole
At one point, it seems like the biggest threat of #Manhole is how Shunsuke Kawamura is endangered by both a gas leak and the fact that the manhole is filling up with soapy foam during a rainstorm. However, a flashback during the film’s second half reveals that Shunsuke might not be the innocent victim that he appears to be and that his situation is part of a revenge plot. This, along with an almost perfect ending sequence, helps to make #Manhole an enjoyable thriller.