Neighbour No. 13 (2005)
A harrowing Japanese psychological horror film in which a bullied man's fractured mind unleashes a monstrous alter ego hungry for revenge.
Neighbour No. 13 - Movie Information
- Original Title: 隣人13号
- Release Year: 2005
- Directed by: Yasuo Inoue
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Horror, Thriller
- Runtime: 1h 55m
- Original Language: Japanese
- Spoken Languages: Japanese
- Release Date (Theatrical): April 2, 2005 (Japan - R15+), March 8, 2006 (United States)
- Alternative Titles: Rinjin 13-gô (JP), The Neighbor No. Thirteen (US)
- Production Companies: Amuse Soft Entertainment, P.I.C.S., Media Suits
- Production Countries: Japan
Neighbour No. 13 - Plot
Juzo Murasaki is a young man traumatized by his experience of bullying at school. He returns to his hometown and takes a job on a building site with his old nemesis Toru Akai. But Juzo's trauma has created a monster; he harbors a second personality, Neighbor No. 13, a vicious, brutal and disfigured character intent on exacting a painful revenge on his bully.
Neighbour No. 13 - Trailer
Watch the official trailer and see the darkness unfold:
What if your personality began to crumble… who would you become?
Neighbour No. 13 - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Yasuo Inoue
Main Cast
- Shido Nakamura
- Shun Oguri
- Hirofumi Arai
- Yumi Yoshimura
- Tomoya Ishii
- Minoru Matsumoto
- Gekidan Hitori
- Mitsu Murata
- Takashi Miike
- Shuhei Koizumi
Writers
- Hajime Kado
Neighbour No. 13 - FAQs
Is Neighbour No. 13 based on a manga?
Yes, Neighbour No. 13 is based on the manga 'Rinjin 13-gô' by Daisuke Igarashi. The film adapts the manga's dark exploration of bullying trauma and split personality, translating its visceral visual style into a disturbing live-action psychological horror experience directed by Yasuo Inoue.
Who plays the dual role in Neighbour No. 13?
Shun Oguri plays Juzo Murasaki, the traumatized protagonist, while Shido Nakamura portrays No. 13, Juzo's monstrous and disfigured alter ego. The two actors embody opposite sides of the same fractured psyche, with Nakamura delivering a particularly unsettling and physically intense performance.
What is Neighbour No. 13 about?
Neighbour No. 13 follows Juzo Murasaki, a young man scarred by severe school bullying who reunites with his tormentor Toru Akai on a construction site. His trauma has fractured his mind, giving rise to a savage alter ego called No. 13, who is determined to exact horrifying revenge on the bully.
What does the ending of Neighbour No. 13 mean?
The film's ending underscores the irreversible psychological destruction caused by sustained bullying. No. 13's revenge is total and unrelenting, suggesting that Juzo's original self has been consumed entirely by his trauma. The conclusion functions as a bleak indictment of how unchecked cruelty can annihilate a person's humanity.
When was Neighbour No. 13 released?
Neighbour No. 13 was released on April 2, 2005, in Japan with an R15+ rating, and later reached the United States on March 8, 2006. The film was directed by Yasuo Inoue and produced by Amuse Soft Entertainment, P.I.C.S., and Media Suits.
Who directed Neighbour No. 13?
Neighbour No. 13 was directed by Yasuo Inoue, working from a screenplay by Hajime Kado. The film marked a notable entry in Japanese extreme horror cinema, drawing comparisons to the transgressive style associated with J-horror and the broader wave of psychologically intense Japanese genre filmmaking of the mid-2000s.
Is director Takashi Miike in Neighbour No. 13?
Yes, cult filmmaker Takashi Miike appears in Neighbour No. 13 in a cameo role as a character named Kaneda. His presence is a notable nod to the Japanese extreme horror community, as Miike is himself one of the most celebrated and provocative directors in the genre.
What are similar films to Neighbour No. 13?
Viewers who enjoy Neighbour No. 13 may also appreciate Straw Dogs (1971), Irreversible (2002), and American Psycho (2000), all of which explore violence, vengeance, and psychological extremity. Joker (2019) similarly examines how sustained humiliation and trauma can transform a person into something monstrous.
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