Written and directed by Attila Korosi, after tragedy shatters her life, professional ballerina Sua allows the demon Nara to possess her—transforming her body, movement and rage into a deadly weapon. Starring: Jiyeon Han, Anita Korosi, Joseph Kim, Won Hee Lee, Jungchal Jun and Shinyoung Moon.
Attila Korosi dives in headfirst with Demon Dancer: Sua/Nara, immediately crafting that anime inspired genre blend of fantasy, action and horror. Making a great first impression by giving an introduction which speaks to the strength and ferocity of its lead Sua (Jiyeon Han). Especially employing that first person view to really get to grips with the action, which can occasionally be overused or overwhelming, but it’s nicely effective here.
It also showcases early on some of Demon Dancer: Sua/Nara’s biggest strengths. Its desire and determination to create pieces of stunt choreography which often are out of the reach of small budgets. What these filmmakers are able to craft while working within the limitations of the indie sphere are impressive, and that’s undoubtedly a big part of the film’s draw. Its action led sequences are its strongest and hold the most passion.
That desire to get stronger and be able to take on demons is also the best element which the writing has to offer. The more it focuses purely on Sua, the better it is. Whereas when it tends to drift into the past and build her motivations around the death of her husband, it weakens. It’s unfortunately a little too familiar, and doesn’t feel entirely necessary, especially as it shifts the tone into sentimentality which brings down the energy. Revenge is a good motive but the version they choose is stereotypical, and it would have been nice to see something a bit more original.
Particularly as outside of those choices, the energy is strong, and it’s never heavy-handed with how it threads in those veins of fantasy and horror. Jiyeon Han also gives a great performance, it’s understated for this kind of film, she gives Sua grounded, generous qualities. It’s a beloved thread of anime to have bystanders suddenly thrown into these supernatural worlds, and it yet again works well here. Han is charming, humble and easy to follow, and root for.
However, there are also a couple of elements which don’t quite come together. It’s missing a strong score, something to really impose upon the audience in its most action-packed moments, to heighten the tension and suspense. It can also struggle with its transitions and editing, with some scenes being slightly juddery in their movement. As well as having a couple of errant lines that are somewhat poorly chosen.
Demon Dancer: Sua/Nara strives to not be defined by its budget, a wonderful attitude to take in the indie world, and it manages to craft a number of scenes which absolutely achieve that. Its stunt work and action sequences are well done and entertaining. Jiyeon Han gives a great performance, crafting a lead who is easy to follow and enjoyable to watch as she discovers her power. When it’s focusing on those fantasy-horror-action elements, it is at is strongest, but it tends to fall into stereotypical sentimentality with its backstory and that becomes a distraction. Had it stuck more decidedly to having fun and kicking ass, it could have reached its full potential.
