July 14 to August 3, 2022
Oscar-winning filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius directs a meta remake of the hit Japanese zombie-comedy One Cut of the Dead with Coupez! (Final Cut). Remi (Romain Duris) is a struggling filmmaker trying to support his wife Nadia (Bérénice Bejo) and daughter Romi (Simone Hazanavicius). Remi is given the opportunity to adapt a single-take zombie film that was a huge hit in Japan. Shooting in a cursed compound, shenanigans and an attack by real zombies ensue.
With its meta-comedy and surprise plot twists, 2018’s One Cut of the Dead ended up becoming a huge cult hit, proving there’s still some originality left in the zombie genre. Now Oscar-winning filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) steps up to create a French remake of One Cut of the Dead. For all all intents an purposes Coupez! (or Final Cut in English) is practically the same film as One Cut of the Dead, with the first half hour spent depicting the single take zombie narrative, before spending the rest of the film going behind the curtain.
While it is sort of clever that Coupez! writes in the fact that it’s a remake of One Cut of the Dead, complete with bringing back Japanese actress Yoshiko Takehara as producer Mme Matsuda, the film ends up being the very definition of unnecessary. That said, quite a bit of of the humour from One Cut of the Dead seeps through in this remake, plus there’s a few original gags, including a great one involving composer Faith (Jean-Pascal Zadi). However, when it comes down to it, I recommend skipping Coupez! and just watch One Cut of the Dead.
Trailer for Coupez! (Final Cut) – Fantasia 2022
