directed by Adam Wingard
Two recurring messages in many Western speculative fiction and horror stories are that humans are not meant to know certain things or to have certain powers.
Some argue that these themes are baked in to Western philosophy and culture because of the Biblical story of Adam and Eve and their breaking of God's ban of eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
I don't want to get too much into those arguments. I only bring them up because they are important to this movie's story. Although this movie's story originated in a non-Western environment (it's an adaptation of a Japanese manga) , it still features the questions I mentioned above.
Because I am unfamiliar with the original manga, it's not always clear watching this film what was taken from the original story and what was added/changed/deleted by the American director and producers. I have a sneaking suspicion that the interpretation wasn't very good.
Light Turner (Nat Wolff) is an intelligent but withdrawn Seattle high school student. Light's withdrawn because he's still processing his mother's death. Light's mother was killed in a drunk driving accident.
Light's father, Detective Jim Turner (Shea Wigham) has explained to Light that life isn't fair and nothing is guaranteed. But it hasn't worked. Although Jim loves his son he's frustrated by Light's attitude and behavior.
One day when Light is standing up to school bullies and losing, he finds (it literally falls from the sky) an old book titled "Death Note". It has many names written down and a bunch of rules--which are not always in the same place.
Later Light meets the book's demon guardian Ryuk (William Dafoe/Jason Liles). No one can see Ryuk except Light. Ryuk has given the book to Light for a certain time. Ryuk won't talk about why he gave the book to Light or explain all the rules.
Ryuk tells Light that if Light knows a person's name and face he can write their name in the book and determine that person's time and manner of death. Does Light have anyone in mind?
Well of course he does!! A school bully and the mafia goon who killed Light's mother die in implausible ways. Light gets a beautiful new girlfriend Mia (Margaret Qualley). Light thinks he and Mia can employ the book to do good by killing criminals worldwide.
Light and Mia use the pseudonym "Kira" as a cover. But Mia has slightly more flexible ideas about who should be on the list. Ryuk is not as friendly as he seems. A quirky unnamed masked detective (Lakeith Stansfield) tries to track down "Kira".
This film was only meh. I would have found this story more engaging if the loser protagonist was a middle aged corporate drone instead of a teen, who regardless of how he sees life, still has yet to experience much of it. From the beginning Light came across as a future school shooter, which eliminated empathy. I liked Dafoe. He does creepy as well as anyone with his voice, facial expressions, and movements.
