Episode 1 Review/ Analysis
In the beginning of the drama, we see a couple driving along a deserted path. The setting and the atmosphere is very light until they meet with an accident. What happens after the accident inside the hospital, forms the main crux of the series.
Everything about the drama has a Shutter Island (2010 film) like quality. The treatment is very much like a Harold Pinter play where everything begins light with gradual menacing changes through the duration of the first episode. The events, the way they take place and the impending danger reminds you of Harold Pinter’s Birthday Party. As in Pinter’s play, menace runs throughout. So, the drama is very much in line with The Theatre of the Absurd of the 1950s which was all about the existential angst post World War II.
In Akai Nurse Call also, we can see these elements. Nothing or nobody seems to be taking the main character, Haruno Shotaro (played by Shato Shori), seriously. The hospital has a bunch of weird and strange people who jabbers nonsense and has meaningless exchanges. There is an entire conversation on using the nurse call. Patients are almost like prisoners in the hospital. There is also a serial killing investigation going on outside and the cops look nothing like cops. Nobody seems to be serious about anything.
And nobody takes the hero seriously. He is seen asking for his cell phone throughout the episode. But nobody really cares. But when he finally finds it, there is an unexpected menacing revelation which elevates the tension and the episode is ended with the perfect tinge of suspense and horror.
The screenwriters Miyamoto Takeshi and Hattori Takeshi has written a script which is one of a kind. There is absolute courage and confidence in their writing, since this kind of content is rarely made for television. The director Motohashi Keita has elevated the script in executing the narrative well with the perfect combination of menace, humor, and suspense. The cinematography with dull and often gray lightings increases the tension and horror of a series like Akai Nurse Call.
Akai Nurse Call is not your usual television drama. It offers so much more to the audience and is quite engaging. Elements of the horror and the absurd are blend well together. This is one of those dramas which makes the audience crave for more with every episode because it’s so new and original. The element of mystery makes the drama even more intriguing.
Arya is a curious soul and nerd who loves books and cinema. You can read her articles on Medium. You can also follow her on Instagram where she talks about her favourite books and movies.