(Jmovie) Silent Parade (2022)

Adapted from a novel by Keigo Higashino

Original title:  沈黙のパレード

Physicist Manabu Yukawa returns to Japan from America. Detective Kaoru Utsumi visits him and talks about a case. The case is about a popular girl in a town who disappeared and, several years later, her body was found. A suspect was arrested for her murder. That suspect was previously arrested for another girl's murder, but he was released due to a lack of evidence. Detective Shunpei Kusanagi investigated the prior murder case. The same suspect was then released due to a lack of evidence for the most recent murder case. The released man returned to his town, where everybody hated him. On the day of the autumn festival parade, the man was killed. Physicist Manabu Yukawa, Detective Kaoru Utsumi and Detective Shunpei Kusanagi work together on his case.

I found this movie while scrolling through the Bstation app. With a lineup of the best character actors and based on a novel by Keigo Higashino sensei, this movie is definitely worth watching.

The familiar song I heard opened the movie

The movie starts with a song I've known for a while sung by Eric Martin, the vocalist of Mr. Big, titled 'The Voice of Jupiter.' I thought the film would be about music or something. Well, I haven’t read the novel yet. However, the moment I thought I would see the singer become a hit singer, she tragically passed away. She was murdered and the murderer was set free.

I'm quite familiar with the works of Keigo Higashino sensei. Some of his works that I've read are detective stories. Each of them presents a different perspective in investigating a case. There are suspects who were previously suspected, but the focus of the story is on their method of committing the crime; cases where the suspect isn't clear, or among several suspects, who the mastermind behind the crime is. What distinguishes the Yukawa Manabu sensei series is his way of solving a case. As a physicist, he approaches the case from a scientific perspective.

Saori Nakami, the opening singer of this film, was dearly loved by those around her. It's no wonder that her murder and the discovery of her body three years later sparked such deep-seated vengeance in those who cherished her. Moreover, the main suspect lacked strong enough evidence for detention, to the extent that even probation couldn't be imposed.

The next challenging task arises when the suspected murderer dies. His death didn't show signs of violence or abuse; instead, he was found choked in a locked room. The suspicious and unnatural death of this suspected murderer certainly raises questions for the police. Who harbored such deep-seated vengeance to the extent of killing the murderer?

This case is certainly intriguing for Yukawa sensei, the physicist. It somehow reminded me of another detective drama titled 'Knockin’ On Locked Door.' To be honest, I didn't quite grasp the intricacies of this murder involving various chemical elements. However, I thoroughly enjoyed Yukawa sensei and Kusanagi-san's approach in dealing with the suspects. Flashback scenes explained how a group of people orchestrated a silent murder 'parade'—the parade itself stemming from a unique annual festival in Kikuno town where Saori Nakami lived.

Even though it's quite predictable, how a case is solved with a touch of science is very intriguing. If only I had read the book beforehand, maybe I would have had a slight chance to check the benefits of a mixture of chemical fluids and their consequences. Hmm... probably not, though. I'm the kind of viewer and reader who doesn't want to bother checking this and that just to gain enlightenment that might end up confusing me.

There are some plot twists at the end of the movie, something you can expect from Keigo Higashino sensei. The casts, as expected from the best line-up actors, did a very good job. I like how the residents of Kikuno town prepare for an annual festival with different themes. Behind the festivity, there's a three-year-old murder mystery, followed by the killing of the murderer. There are hidden secrets, shattered dreams, and families waiting for certainty.

the trailer

Casts:

Fukuyama Masaharu as Yukawa Manabu

Shibasaki Ko as Utsumi Kaoru

Kitamura Kazuki as Kusanagi Shunpei

Kawatoko Asuka as Namiki Saori

Iio Kazuki as Namiki Yutaro

Toda Naho as Naimiki Machiko

Murakami Jun as Hasunuma Kanichi

My rating:

Story: 10/10

Casts/ Acting: 10/10

Music: 9/10

Re-watch value: 8/10

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