Review of Under Your Bed (2019 Film):

This is a solid psycho-drama. Sometimes tough to watch, but it was worth it. The film revolves around a stalker who spies on his old crush in an increasingly invasive manner.

The original version of this movie was rated ‘R18+’ by Japan’s Eiga Rinri Kikô a/k/a Film Classification and Rating Organization on February 5, 2019; its certificate number is 121811. The edited version was rated ‘R15+’ by the organization on the same day; its certificate number is S-2041.

You’ve probably seen films with this kind of premise, ones where a family man/woman becomes a target of a creepy stalker who goes to extremes to fulfill whatever his twisted goal might be. In this case, however, the film’s perspective is almost entirely shifted to the stalker, who is shown as a lonely, quiet guy with a troubling history, well the usual if it weren’t for his voiceover and some flashbacks that deepen his character. Asato does a solid job of putting us in his shoes while not making him a sympathetic figure. We can empathize with his pain and loneliness, but we’re also aware he might be a serious danger to the target of his “affection”. Another detail that marks a welcome shift from the usual premise is the fact that Chihiro (the poor stalked girl) is married to a violent abuser, so vile that he poses an even bigger threat than the stalker.