12 Suicidal Children (2019)

[WARNING: the rating and review I give have the possibility to be subjective due to my preference for the genres, scenes or casts]

This movie feed up my psychologist soul. Suicide is always been my biggest question, why some people--or in many case teenager--have a suicidal thought? I mean, if you die, you can't change anything anymore, right? Your mark stuck at that moment, but if you live, you can change, upgrade and proof yourself. There's so much reasons to ended your life, but living takes courage and so much more reasons to still live. I hope a lot of children out there, who ever think to take their life, find a reason to keep living. We'll die in the end, so why rushing now?

Back to the movie. The story idea is great in my opinion, the problem some clear, some shady, some complicated and some seems there's even not a problem. The problem solving somehow feels not a problem solving, but the process of the teens thought to the problem solving is what's matter. The pace of telling is good, not too fast and not too slow, although there are some details that might be better told a little more.

The acting of the casts are very good. They play so naturally and ensoul their roles. However, in my opinion the outstanding actors are Mackenyu and Kitamura Takumi. As for the female cast, Sugisaki Hana plays really well.

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I watched the movie yesterday and I am so thoroughly disappointed!

The trailer and even the tags on this page advertise it as ‘a suspenseful mystery that seems kind of messed up’. The trailer makes it look like a mysterious suspense movie, maybe even a little scary, and maybe even some crazy person among them might try and kill them all. But... It’s not. It’s really not.

This is more like a One Litre of Tears type story: a slow, character discussion story where the ask do people deserve to die? Should we and can we choose when to die? Should we be allowed to commit suicide? It’s more THAT. A slow, questioning life and death story.

It’s advertised completely wrong.

There’s no mystery at all about the dead boy in terms of there’s nothing that makes you want to know about him; the whole story is predictable, and, as said; there’s nothing psychological or suspenseful about it. AT ALL.

It’s utterly boring. I almost walked out of the theatre because this is not what I was expecting nor what I wanted nor what was advertised!

If this had been properly advertised I probably would’ve enjoyed it! So I say to you:
Please watch this expecting something like a slow, questioning life and death movie because that’s exactly what you get.

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I actually liked this movie. I liked it for what it actually is. I'm here to offer some review appreciation that I feel it deserves.

[I should warn, there's discussion on suicide in the following review, which might be obvious given the movie, but still]

A good portion of the negative comments I'm seeing are about the fact that they were expecting something else. That's fair, it's a fair thing to add in a review or a comment, that the marketing of the movie was misleading, but I personally don't think it's the movie's fault and I consider that a bad review that is based on expectations rather than the actual movie may give a less than fair perspective to those who are interested in it. But maybe that's just me.

There are a lot of Japanese movies and dramas that deal with teenage suicide, I feel like every generation has one. Which is understandable, and even crucial, concerning the social and cultural impact that the reality of these circumstances imply. However, not all stories talk about suicide honestly, not all of them delve in what it actually means. This movie does.

I might be in the minority here, but when a plot concerns 12 teens who want to end their lives, I'm hoping there's going to be some talk about the actual characters and backstories, some depth on the reasons and the perspectives, and most of all, some empathy. It's not a murder mystery dinner party, it's an event that concerns teens taking their lives. So yes, maybe there's mystery and suspense and the plot begins with questions to be asked, but that's secondary to the actual theme threading these characters together: the fact that they all want to die.

The movie doesn't center itself on the mystery, it uses the mystery to give these characters (or some of them) the excuse to stall. To talk. To ask questions. To get to know each other. And that is a brilliant, extremely realistic method to introduce, because thinking about the future as a whole is daunting, but thinking about the next question, the next doubt, the next step, is more approachable. It actually borrows something from therapeutic methodology and transforms it into a storytelling device.

The mystery and the suspense are methods to develop the character storytelling, to set the stage and to offer the opportunity for us to know these people, know their stories and see them develop their thoughts on each other and themselves. I'd say maybe the negative is that, being a movie, there isn't a lot of room for everything, and the mystery part does take some time, in order to drive the characters to where they might end. Still, in the time-frame of a movie, I feel the balance was well done and the result is a movie that leaves you hopeful but not in a bland, unrealistic way.

My advice is: don't come into this movie expecting a murder mystery, a gore slashfest or a high school drama dynamic. I'd say this movie is a combination of Suicide Club and The Breakfast Club, to put it in a very bizarre yet understandable way. Come into this movie expecting 12 teens, 12 very different teens, confronting the idea of suicide.

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The mystery and investigation isn't the main ingredient of the story. They're just a part of it. It's more on psychological or mental. The story obviously doesn't cover the entire suicidal people, but it offers you a look at the process. It gives you opportunity to have a look into their hearts and minds.

This movie will tell you how suicide is not simply about a person taking his/her own life. It is not a hardcore psycho you might be expecting but it's a different type and it's beautiful.

I love how the story happens in just one room which makes you curious about what it has to offer considering the limitation of the setting.

Each character is unique giving different flavors to the story.

Watching this with an open mind will make you even appreciate this more.

ps. the casts are all eye-candies like WOW what a bonus! ><

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Maybe after 5 to 10 years, we will all look back to this film and agreed upon on how they possibly cast all these new generations of young actors and actresses in Japan. When they first announced this film, I got hyped about it.

十二人の死にたい子どもたち (12 Suicidal Teens) is based on the same manga title by Tow Ubukata, about 12 people gather to an assembly to make a decision to die. When they arrived at the abandoned hospital they found out a person who is unconscious; curiosity and questions make them investigate who killed the person. During the process of their investigation, reasons, and secrets of their purpose to die unraveled from each other.

To my surprise, I never thought that I somehow could like this? I didn't expect much before watching the film but this film surprises me in a good way.
When they first announced this film, everyone got hyped up because everyone was guessing who are the kids behind those numbers.
The casting was great, I like every actors & actress in this film. They brought out their characters & interpreted them in a way to differentiate from each other.
Sugisaka Hana, Mackenyu Arata, Kana Hashimoto, Ryota Bando & Yuina Kuroshima showed me a great performance portraying their characters dealing with their inner conflicts & how they exchanged their dialogues to the other.

The color tones and set give off a monotone start that correlates with the genre of the film. I like how they shot the frames, they made use of the setting's space and the symbolism of it.

*SPOILER*
At the final act, when the rain and thunder occurred on the place, it plays a symbolism to their interactions with the other characters while affecting their final decision. The flicker of thunder from the door while the characters are inside of the room, somehow symbolizes that there's a part of their decision already got change.
There is much symbolism from this film especially with the flashbacks, editing & how they shot the characters that answer the question.
*

The film's genre has an approach of mystery and thriller. The plot tones you to sadness but along the process of knowing the character's dealings in their lives and how they shared their pain to each other somehow gives a light and hope for these characters that despite their strong stand with their decision to die, there's a part of them screams that they want to be listened to.
I sigh in relief that these characters gave their life a chance again but like how Satoshi said to Anri that he is still obsessed with death but the moment he sees everyone agrees to canceled & got home, he felt a good feeling. I could interpret that the loneliness still lingers to him but as he got involved with the process of knowing these people & their stories, he somehow felt good that it turns out to the other side of the coin, that there's light.

Like what I mentioned, I never thought I could like this but I did; The cast did such a good job, the stories of the characters are sad & painful but I like the message throughout the film.
Definitely I will look back to this film and says with enthusiasm that how they gather all these amazing actors & actresses in one film because maybe after 5 to 10 years, this cast will hit big :)

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I've no idea what was going on

I liked a lot of shots the cinematography was pretty decent and it wasn't completely awful cause I watched it without skipping any part but I was waiting for something the entire time and when the story took off it wasn't to my liking so It went completely downhill for me I liked the idea of the film and it's concept but the execution was idk what it was I would say a bit bizzare suddenly everyone started telling their story and it didn't make sense at all like any of it the brother the sick people every thing was weird but I liked it not completely but half of it atleast. Thanks for reading my review this far I hope you're doing great just hit me up if things are not going your way I'm always their for everyone who's struggling and trying their best to make it in this world.

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Psychological drama framed though a thriller-mystery

Right off the bat, I'd like to say as a disclaimer that I just finished this film a few minutes ago, so all of my thoughts are VERY fresh:

Before watching "12 Suicidal Teens", I read several reviews warning potential viewers that the marketing for this film wrongly portrayed it as a murder-mystery thriller, when in reality, the story primarily circulates around the psychology of the situation. With these reviews in mind, I kept my expectations fairly low, unsure of what to expect both in content and quality. I had even considered skipping the film as a whole, with many other reviewers calling it boring and tonally inconsistent, but personally, I'm really glad I didn't. "12 Suicidal Teens" pleasantly surprised me in both its execution and premise, and despite some minor issues, I overall thoroughly enjoyed it!

If you're debating watching and want to remain spoiler free, (which I would recommend), I'll summarize my main opinions here: If you find the initial premise provided in the summary intriguing, don't let the reviews claiming this film lacks the mystery elements it claims to have scare you off. This movie, in my opinion, 100% delivers in its mystery elements, so long as you keep your expectations realistic. For those who are interested in the premise from a psychological standpoint, I'd encourage you even further to give "12 suicidal teens" a watch too, as the characters discussions unpacking the complexities behind suicide and their own personal reasons behind their decision to commit suicide is incredibly interesting and well written. Overall, it's an entertaining watch that will likely not be what you expect (for better or for worse lol)

Alright spoilers from here on out!:

Story: The clean cut premise was what initially drew me to this film. I thought the concept of 12 suicidal individuals having to solve the presumed murder of a stranger was incredibly fascinating, and what's more, the story takes place in a bottle setting, which is one of my favorite storytelling methods. Of course, if you've seen the film, you'll know the "murder" isn't all it's cracked up to be. I think this is where a lot of people lost interest in the film, as many had come expecting a high anxiety murder mystery thriller, when in reality, the mystery only really serves to push the theme forward. Disregarding the themes however, I personally still believe this movie presents a really fun and engaging mystery, where the more you think you know, the less you actually do. The more you learn, the more you question the rest of the characters and their trustworthiness. The final conclusion was a little anticlimactic in my opinion, but it kind of cemented the main focus of the film as the characters, not the story, which I appreciated.

Characters/cast: This is where "12 Suicidal Teens" really shines in my opinion. The characters in this film are so incredibly well written and well acted, it felt almost as though I had known them in real life! In particular, I think Furukawa Kotone, Kuroshima Yuina and Kitamura Takumi did a phenomenal job portraying their characters, with Furukawa specifically really standing out to me. Honorable mention to Hagiwara Riku, whose character was unfortunately not given much screen time in the last 2/3s of the film, but really stuck out to me in the screen time that he did have, with him having one of the more heart-wrenching stories out of the group in my opinion. This leads into the one major unfortunate problem w/ the characters in this film, which is that, due to the sheer number of characters, some characters, such as Funichino Yuto's character, fade into the background and are not given much screen time unless it's to move the plot along, which is all fine and good, but in the context of a character driven story such as this, it's a little disappointing. Again, overall though, all the actors truly hit their characters out of the park.

Rewatch value: Like I said earlier, I only finished "12 Suicidal Teens" for the first time a few minutes ago, so I have yet to rewatch it, but based on the way the mystery unfolds, I'd say it's good for one rewatch, but after that, it would start to feel a little repetitive and slow.

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Touch A Sensitive Ongoing Topic

I did not really thought this would be good. I saw found out the adverisment for it was wrong. I gave it a try. I was curious about Satoshi. He had that mysertious vibe for me. I had feeling that he would be the host of the game. I did felt bad for the characters. All them had to deal with so much. It was a slow pace movie for me. I did like that it touch a sensitive topic like this. I have been noticing that not too many dramas show how real day life is really. I would not watch it. I just thought it could have been done better. I did still enjoy it. I did like how interesting all the characters look in this movie.If things were done better like make it more interesting to solve the mystery. It wasn't really a mystery about the boy. The movie is right about towards the end that their is so much to live for.

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Not a mystery

This is a bad mystery movie, terrible even, however the mystery is there to push the plot along and to get the boll rolling so to speak. I would also say that at times, it can be a tad slow, which can be rough with a mystery that doesn't build suspense and I also felt at times the movie may have been a bit to heavy handed in it's message of not committing suicide.

The anti suicide message is also very insulting, at times you kind of get the feeling that the writer clearly does not condone or approve of it and so he uses the characters bashing each other as a sort of way to knock it and take jabs but some of them have very unordinary reasons for commiting suicide to the point it seems like a strawman for the sole purpose of bashing it?

I didn't like that, at all.

Though some of them had some very good reasons too, you never really see them properly looked at and given a decent commentary on it. All that said and done, I did enjoy the end but felt like it was the writer getting away with conveying a sloppy message. But I liked it, what can I say. I liked the characters, they aren't all very fleshed out but I did enjoy getting to know them little by little and liked that they all reached a decent ending however, all of that could have been done in a far shorter movie I feel and it drags too much it is a large fault in this movie.

The ending scenes had me smile, I was thinking to myself "Hey, good for them I love that for them." But that was a few fleeting minutes in a SLOG of a story. It takes too long to build up, the mystery itself is severely ridiculous and silly, and they use Nouburo and Shinjiro to magically solve the mysteries, I still do not understand how they solved anything and pieced things together, or how they got away with this and that.

Liked the movie though, just wasn't well written. 5/10 if I'm being technical about it. 6/10 based on my own personal feelings for the movie.

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De title may b intense & de starting is intriguing but de story lacks a punch -

12 Suicidal Teens gave equal attention 2 telling all of deir stories & provided audiences wid an avenue 2 hear de problems dat compelled these teens 2 end their life. A lot of these problems are relatable & realistic & could serve as a wake up call 4 audiences 2 listen 2 wat is not being said by their own loved ones, friends or acquaintances.

SYNOPSIS ~12 teenagers sign up 4 an assembly 2 commit suicide @ de basement of an abandoned hospital. Unlike any suicide attempt though, de assembly needs de consent of de entire body b4 dey can proceed wid de plan. B4 dey can even begin however, dey find dat another person has beaten them 2 de punch. Dey begin 2 suspect dat a murderer is among them & dey team up 2 unravel de mystery behind their uninvited guest.

All in all, 12 Suicidal Teens could be described as a boring film for some because of the lengthy dialogue and the general quiet atmosphere, but for me, it was ok. The twists weren’t very surprising neither it felt exceptionally mysterious but they were just enough to keep me on my sit untl the end. PREDICTABLE !! UT WORTH A WATCHH

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