(Streamed via Horror Movies by Fawesome)
I first became aware of Tag when they played a clip from the opening scene on an episode of The Soup. It involves a bus full of Japanese schoolgirls on a field trip that wind up being cut in half by an unseen force. This jaw-dropping bravura set piece features some janky CGI in some spots, but I’ll be damned if it doesn’t work. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the film’s unexpected, surreal, and gory sequences.
Tag is sort of like a mix of Evil Dead, Final Destination, and The Butterfly Effect. A Japanese schoolgirl runs afoul of mysterious forces that cause her classmates to die in horrifically ghoulish ways. Just when she thinks she’s escaped death’s grasp and everything has returned to normal, she finds herself in an alternate universe where yet another grim fate awaits those around her.
Tag is full of spectacular carnage and over the top gore. The film contains a wonderful scene where a Japanese schoolgirl takes a crocodile to the crotch, as well as one of the greatest wedding scenes in movie history. There is a school shooting sequence that may be too much for some viewers to take, however, so fair warning. Some of the stuff in between the gruesome set pieces feels a tad like padding, but since these scenes include several instances of Japanese schoolgirls getting into slow motion pillow fights, it’s hard to lodge a complaint. The camerawork is also impressive as it is at times reminiscent of both Raimi and Kubrick.
The ending is a little on the underwhelming side, but then again, anyone would be hard-pressed to tie together all these wildly disparate sequences in a satisfying manner. That doesn’t necessarily diminish the overall impact as it certainly fits the unpredictable tone throughout the rest of the film. Tag may have its flaws, but this is one movie I had no idea where it was going from one scene to the next. Even if some parts didn’t work, I didn’t care as being along for the ride was part of the fun.
AKA: Tag: A High School Splatter Film. AKA: Real Tag.
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