If you're a fan of the source material, you'll hate this vehemently but if you treat this independently, you might be entertained. I admittedly had some fun watching this, even with the flaws, but I was not a fan of the anime. This film's biggest problem is script and tonal inconsistencies. This feels like 2 movies that have been condensed into one, none of which are given their full due. The acting is pretty good, except for the lead who tries, but is far from great, the other actors around him make his shortcomings more glaring, especially the female lead. The characters themselves are barely sketches of character traits and motivations, shallow and predictable. The direction is a mixed bag, Adam Wingard creates wonderfully colorful night scenes and quite good at creating tension and atmosphere, but his action/chase sequences are muddled and difficult to discern what's going on. His scenes of gore/death are so crazily gonzo, atimes I wondered if he was attempting a comedy. Tonally, this movie is extremely inconsistent, going from horror to sociopath love story, to zaniess and back, often within minutes of each other. However, Defoe's Ryuk is fantastically executed, a death god lurking in the shadowed periphery with malevolent eyes and winning smile. Distanced from the anime, this is a mildly entertaining romp that shows far more potential than the execution allows. Obviously there are sequels incoming, so maybe with some polish Wingard can turn in a better film.

C-

(F for anime fans)