New Religion — New Religion(Blu Ray)
New Religion is a darkly moody, at times artfully sleek drama with elements of mystery and low-key horror. The early 2020s Japanese film manages to balance lost child dramatics with subtle Lynch like dark surrealism and moments of eerier disquiet. Here from Third Window films is a Blu-ray release of the film, with a commentary track, director interview & a few other things, including a related short.
New Religion is from the year 2022- it was written and directed by Aichi, Japan-born Keishi Kondo. He has only two other shorts to his name- state-of-emergency set drama See You Again (2020), and Neu Mirrors (2025), which takes up after New Religion, and can be found on this disc.
As debut full-lengths go, New Religion is a well-made/ shot film that’s often high with mystery and eerier disquiet. Yes, the pacing is a little slow in places- but it fits the tone of the whole thing well.
The film's central character is Miyabi (Kaho Seto) a thirtysomething timid & glum call girl, who lives in an apartment with her sporty/bobbed hair cut boyfriend( Saionji Ryuseigun). We find out some years before a true tragedy occurred, when Miyabi's daughter with another man fell off the apartment's balcony.
One of her clients, named Aizawa (Daiki Nunami), is extremely odd, to say the least. Firstly, his apartment is mostly lit by red light throughout; he’s not into normal call girl action, but instead likes to take polaroids of different body parts, and lastly/ most creepy, he has no voice box, so instead talks through stereo speakers in a chillingly croaking voice.
As time goes on, and Miyabi & Aizawa meet more & more, it seems that somehow the taking of the polaroids is bringing back her daughter, though it’s also bringing on murder and disasters.
The film is often shot at nighttime- either in a semi-lit room where the call girls wait for clients, Aizawa's creepy apartment, which is adorned with pictures of moths, or nighttime city driving. It’s scored by a wonderful foreboding blend of pressingly sinister bass drones and moody electronic textures.
New Religion offers up a grimly heady mix of mystery-laced drama and chilling, at-times horror-fed disquiet, which has a real feel of David Lynch at his most dark/sinister.
The region-free takes in a few extras- first off, on the new side, we have a commentary track from director Keishi Kondo- this is in Japanese with English subs. He starts off talking about the film's credits and use of red-tinted/ unsettling graphics that follow them. We find out the film was shot in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, on weekends between August and November 2020. He talks about how he wanted to concentrate on themes and imagery with New Religion. He talks about how he prefers using non-actors in his films. Later on, he discusses the film's lengthy dialogue scene, and much more. All in all, it’s a decent and interesting director's track. There’s a new interview with the director (30.22).
On the archive side, we have- Neu Mirrors (28.33), which was a 2025 spin-off short, taking in some of the characters and themes from New Religion. Once again, it captures a rewarding sense of disquiet and unease. There’s behind-the-scenes footage (29.09), Outtakes( 10.59), Early Concept Movie ( 22.10), Crowdfunding Teaser, and a few trailers.
If you enjoy eerier & disquieting blends of drama, mystery, and low-key horror, then New Religion will most certainly appeal. I very much look forward to seeing what Keishi Kondo does next.