Suzuki=Bakudan – Movie Review | Fantasia (4/5)

SUZUKI=BAKUDAN is a clever Japanese crime thriller packed with twists. Perfect for fans of both Japanese and South Korean productions. We screened the movie at Fantasia 2026, and you can read our full Suzuki=Bakudan movie review here!

SUZUKI=BAKUDAN is a Japanese crime thriller that had its North American premiere at Fantasia 2026. Built around cryptic riddles, psychological mind games, and an increasingly tense race against time, it delivers a suspenseful experience that constantly keeps the audience guessing.

Fans of twist-heavy South Korean thrillers will feel right at home with this one. In fact, I have to mention the iconic David Fincher movie Se7en as an English-language comparison. The difference is that someone is in custody from the start, and everything has been planned to happen while he is being questioned.

Continue reading our review of Suzuki=Bakudan below.

Harmless and innocent or a diabolical mass murderer?

When a drunk and seemingly harmless man arrested for vandalism claims he has planted bombs across Tokyo, the police dismiss him as delusional. That changes the moment his prediction of an explosion in Akihabara comes true.

With three more bombs set to detonate at hourly intervals, detective Ruike must decipher Suzuki’s cryptic clues before more lives are lost. The result is a gripping mystery where every answer only raises new questions.

This is a very character-driven storyline despite the crime plot, so you’re in for a real treat.

The only real drawback comes from the film’s central riddles. Much of their cleverness relies on Japanese wordplay, making them difficult to translate without losing some of their meaning. Viewers relying on subtitles will inevitably miss some of the linguistic nuances that make the puzzles even more satisfying in their original language.

A thrilling game of riddles and deception

Tagosaku Suzuki (Jiro Sato) is hardly the criminal mastermind anyone expects. Arrested after smashing a vending machine and assaulting a clerk, he appears to be nothing more than a drunk down on his luck. Yet when his impossible predictions begin coming true, the investigation takes a dramatic turn.

Detective Ruike (Yuki Yamada) suddenly finds himself racing against both the clock and Suzuki’s mind, trying to uncover who this mysterious man really is, why he seems able to predict the bombings, and what purpose lies behind the deadly game unfolding across Tokyo.

The film thrives on its cast, who keep every interaction engaging and unpredictable.

Jiro Sato is especially outstanding as Suzuki, delivering a performance that constantly shifts between eccentric, vulnerable, and deeply unsettling. You never quite know whether he’s manipulating everyone around him or simply operating on a completely different wavelength.

Suzuki=Bakudan is a gripping thriller that rewards patient viewers

Director Akira Nagai, best known for Character (2021), crafts an intelligent crime thriller that often feels closer in spirit to modern South Korean genre cinema than traditional Japanese police procedurals.

The screenplay by Masahiro Yamaura and Hiroyuki Yatsu steadily builds tension through clever plotting, unexpected twists, and strong character work. The result is that its 137-minute runtime is surprisingly easy to settle into.

Suzuki=Bakudan earns a solid 4 out of 5 stars thanks to its compelling mystery, excellent performances, and consistently engaging story. The lengthy runtime never becomes a burden because the narrative continues to evolve in satisfying ways.

Only the unavoidable challenges of translating its language-based riddles prevent it from reaching an even higher score. Even so, this is an absorbing and refreshingly clever crime thriller that deserves the attention of anyone who enjoys intricate mysteries and psychological games.

SUZUKI=BAKUDAN was screened at Fantasia 2026.

Details

Director: Akira Nagai
Writers: Masahiro Yamaura, Hiroyuki Yatsu
Cast: Sairi Ito, Jiro Sato, Shota Sometani, Atsuro Watabe, Yuki Yamada