“Audition” might be the most disturbing film I’ve ever seen. It’s a fascinating flick from Japan that manages to be deeply unsettling even though most of the movie lacks any horrifying imagery. Much of it is like a romantic film and then it slowly morphs into a horror thriller. It makes the few horror moments all the more powerful when they’re brief.

Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi “The Grudge”, “War”) is a widower hoping to find a new wife. He gets his friend to start auditions for a fake movie so that Aoyama can select the woman he desires. It’s no real contest though as he falls deeply for Asami Yamazaki (Eihi Shiina “Tokyo Gore Police”, “The Outrage”). However, he will soon learn that she is not as innocent as she initially appears.

The Aoyama character is really good as he’s a nice guy that just desperately wants to be with this young woman. He goes against the advice of his friend as he pursues Asami. Ryo Ishibashi does a good job. However, Eihi Shiina steals the show as Asami. She should be considered one of the greatest villains in cinema history. I wish the film’s marketing did a better job of hiding her evil side as it would make the twist more shocking. When you stick her on the different posters with various instruments of torture, it’s no real surprise when she turns out to be bad.

“Audition” was directed by Takashi Miike (“Ichi The Killer”, “One Missed Call”) and he’s known for making very extreme films. During some sequences, the line between reality and a nightmare is blurred. This somehow makes it even more unsettling. This is a seriously disturbing film and it’s definitely not for those of a nervous disposition. Even horror directors such as Eli Roth (“Hostel”) and Rob Zombie (“The Devil’s Rejects”) have cited this film as being truly disturbing so you know it must be terrifying.