Japanese horror-satire explores conformity through body-bending sci-fi
New film follows two outsider students at a strict high school where peers form human pyramids and become mindless drones.
At a glance
- Two outsider students navigate a super-strict Japanese high school where conformity becomes increasingly bizarre
- Students form human pyramids and act as mindless collective entities
- The film uses choreography and human performance to create body-horror imagery
- Director prioritises mystery and eeriness over conventional entertainment
New Group, directed by Yûta Shimotsu, is a Japanese social satire examining conformity at a hyper-disciplined high school. The film follows Ai, an unpopular student seeking to fit in, and Yu, a transfer student who resists peer pressure. When students begin forming themselves into human pyramids and acting as a collective organism, something sinister emerges.
The film prioritises mystery and eeriness over entertainment value, drawing comparisons to the 1998 American film The Faculty. Reviewers note the choreography and visual composition of the group scenes as particularly effective, with human performers and acrobatic skills forming the basis of the body-horror imagery.
Why it matters
The film reflects contemporary concerns about social conformity and peer pressure in educational settings, using speculative horror to satirise groupthink behaviour.
Original reporting
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