Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Wrongly convicted youth evades police; violence, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Faceless
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
FACELESS is the story of a corrupt Japanese justice system that sentences a youth to death for gruesome murders he did not commit. Early on, Keiichi (Ryûsei Yokohama) escapes custody and takes on various disguises and jobs to evade recapture. Along the way, people who interact with his aliases come to love him. Ultimately, they bond together to help him get a fair retrial. A young detective named Matanuki (Takayuki Yamada) relentlessly pursues the escaped convict but increasingly comes to believe he's innocent.
Is It Any Good?
This thriller starts with a bang and, like the escaped convict, keeps spinning ahead with engaging momentum until a boggy last sequence. The film's great flaw is that it doesn't seem as if the convict has been using his time on the run to prove his innocence. The only evidence of such an effort is seen at the end, when he tries to jar the blank memory of the murder's traumatized sole survivor in order to find the real killer. Plus, you have to wonder: Why did it take so long for the detective to finally disobey his corrupt boss? Still, many viewers will enjoy the ride.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the notion that innocent people can be convicted, sentenced to death, and even executed. Why do you think the police department didn't want to do a more thorough investigation?
How does the possibility that people are sometimes wrongfully convicted for murders they did not commit make you feel about the death penalty as a punishment?
What would you do if you were convicted of a crime you did not commit, or even accused of making an error you did not make? Would you defend yourself?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : February 1, 2025
- Cast : Ryûsei Yokohama , Takayuki Yamada , Riho Yoshioka
- Director : Michihito Fujii
- Inclusion Information : Asian Movie Actor(s) , Asian Movie Writer(s) , Japanese Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 120 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : February 26, 2025
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