New Religion (film)
| New Religion | |
|---|---|
Film poster | |
| Japanese | ニューレリジョン |
| Directed by | Keishi Kondo |
| Written by | Keishi Kondo |
| Starring | Kaho Seto |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
New Religion (Japanese: ニューレリジョン, Hepburn: Nyū Rerijon) is a 2022 Japanese psychological horror film written and directed by Keishi Kondo (in his feature directing debut).[1]
Premise
Miyabi is a sex worker who is mourning the accidental death of her young daughter. A new client of hers is a mysterious man who wants to photograph her body one part at a time.[1]
Cast
- Kaho Seto as Miyabi
- Satoshi Oka as Oka
- Saionji Ryuseigun as The Boyfriend
- Daiki Nunami as Aizawa
- Hanna Nakamoto as Aoi
- Yuki Nagata as Ex-Husband
Release
New Religion was released in Japan on February 19, 2022[2] and in the United States in 2023 as part of the Slamdance Film Festival.[3]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 89% of 9 critics' reviews are positive.[4] Grant Watson, writing for fictionmachine.com, gave the film a highly positive review, saying that it "represents a potentially major new entry onto the J-horror landscape, and something a lot more exciting than yet another moribund retread or sequel."[1] Ard Vijn of ScreenAnarchy called the film "visually interesting" and "a grim look at coping with loss and grief."[5] In a slightly less positive review, James Hadfield of The Japan Times said that he "admired the boldness of Kondo’s aesthetic and the loftiness of his concepts", but that he also found the film "ponderous" and "wearying".[6]
References
- ^ a b c "OAFF: New Religion (2022)". fictionmachine.com. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ^ "New Religion (ニューレリジョン) (2022)". The Numbers. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
- ^ "New Religion". Slamdance Film Festival. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
- ^ "New Religion". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ^ "Camera Japan Rotterdam 2023 Review: NEW RELIGION". ScreenAnarchy. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ^ "'New Religion': Chic debut is low on shivers". The Japan Times. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
External links
- New Religion at IMDb