The director Sabu, who goes by one name, first caught the attention of critics abroad for his stylish action films, starting with the 1996 ¡°Dangan Runner,¡± which specialized in desperate heroes and headlong foot chases. He¡¯d go on to broaden his thematic horizons but, at some point, his actors would somehow find a reason to run.
That is also the case with ¡°Dancing Mary,¡± a spooky fantasy based on an original script by Sabu, which premiered at the 2019 Sitges Film Festival in Spain. It is only now appearing in Japanese theaters due to pandemic-related delays. The film features pop star Naoto Kataoka (who also goes by one name) of Exile in his first leading role. He plays Kenji Fujimoto, a lowly City Hall employee who is drafted to supervise the demolition of an old dance hall.
He¡¯s under pressure to get the job done quickly since a shopping mall is scheduled to be built on the site, but faces a problem that has baffled his superiors: The hall is haunted by the ghost of Mary (Nozomi Bando), a former dancer whose powers defeat a succession of would-be exorcists.
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