Thomas Storai 
“Hard Days is fast-paced thriller that turns into total mayhem. It balances well the comedic aspect of the ridiculous situations and the action. Junichi Okada is excellent as this unlucky detective, his reactions to what is happening are priceless. And Go Ayano delivers a completely unhinged performance.”
Hard Days (最後まで行く Saigo Made Iku) is the Japanese remake of the 2014 Korean film A Hard Day (끝까지 간다). It was first distributed by Toho in Japanese cinemas in May. The film is now available worldwide on Netflix.
STORY
Hard Days tells the misadventures of Detective Yuji Kudo (Junichi Okada). On his way to the hospital to see his mother, he receives a phone call from the police chief asking about his involvement with a slush fund linked to the Yakuza Senba (Akira Emoto). He also learns that his mother has passed away before he reaches the hospital. Then, he accidentally hits a man with his car. At the hospital, he tries to cover up the death of that man. And this is just the beginning. For Kudo, it all goes from bad to worse. This is when Detective Yazaki (Go Ayano) arrives to interrogate him about the slush fund but he is more than what he appears to be.
The beginning feels a bit like a dark comedy with everything that happens to Yuji Kudo. The situation is quite ridiculous. It just keeps going. Besides, the way he behaves is extremely suspicious and clumsy. As the audience, we think it is only a matter of time before he gets caught. One scene at the morgue really had me laughing. There is a nice balance between the comedic situations that keeps getting crazier and the thriller aspect. In fact, this film is a fast-paced thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. From the moment Yazaki arrives, it goes crescendo and turns into total mayhem. It is an action-packed film.
Despite all the madness happening, the film still finds moments to breathe and develop its characters. Even though, Kudo isn’t exactly a good cop, you end up caring for him and his family. We also see the point of view of Yazaki which explains what leads him to act the way he does.
CAST
Moreover, the film really relies on the performance of its two leads. Junichi Okada is excellent as this unlucky detective. His reactions to his situation getting crazier is simply priceless. He is able to go from comedy to serious in just one scene. As for Go Ayano, he delivers a completely unhinged performance as Yazaki. I love the evolution in his performance throughout the film. In his first scene, you see him playing this cold and serious detective but things quickly change and we see who his character really is.
VISUALS & SOUNDTRACK
Furthermore, Takashi Ohmama has composed a score that goes heavy on the rock side, which seems quite fitting for this fast-paced film. The cinematography is absolutely striking. Director Michihito Fuji who also directed Village and The Journalist (both are on Netflix) knows how to create tension through the visuals. He excels at night scenes. Indeed, the whole sequence at the beginning with the rain and the fight in the cemetery have impressed me!
VERDICT
Hard Days is fast-paced thriller that turns into total mayhem. It balances well the comedic aspect of the ridiculous situations and the action. Junichi Okada is excellent as this unlucky detective, his reactions to what is happening are priceless. And Go Ayano delivers a completely unhinged performance.
Hard Days is now streaming on Netflix.
Collectables and Anime Editor for Future Of The Force.
Star Wars expert and Japan connoisseur.
