All You Need is Kill, directed by Ken’ichirô Akimoto and Yukinori Nakamura, explores an alien plant that invades Earth. Rita (Ai Mikami) is part of the cleanup crew; however, when the plant releases its spores, Rita, in the process of killing one, is infused with the same DNA, now reliving the same day.
This film is based on the novel of the same name by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, which had a manga adaptation by Ryôsuke Takeuchi and Takeshi Obata, then a loose adaptation with Edge of Tomorrow (2014), and now we are finally at the anime adaptation.
Even though there are similarities with Edge of Tomorrow, All You Need is Kill stands on its own feet, with that major difference being how much the film looks at the horror of being in that constant loop.
Rita tells people on her third day of the loop that they shouldn’t clean up the plants today. Everyone thinks she’s mad, and even as she tries to drive away the creatures, the plant spores still get her.
It really does show the horror of the time-loop concept in the feeling of the unescapable nature, and that sadness of knowing that all these people around you are going to die over and over. When you say that to them, they think you are insane.
But for all the bleakness of the loop, the film does have this sense of determination. It’s better to go down fighting than anything else.
As we see, Rita struggles, but that struggle turns into grit.
Then, when we have the introduction of Keiji (Natsuki Hanae), who is also experiencing the loop, both meetings give Rita a less lonely sense, but for Keiji, seeing Rita so determined gives him hope that he can find that belief too.
By spending time in Rita’s company, he becomes more confident, showcasing the hopeful grit and determination that shine through the horror of the film.
Studio4°C is again leading the animation. What really stood out was the creatures that were born from the spores, which in Edge of Tomorrow would be referred to as Mimics. However, here they are reminiscent of Venus Fly Traps—sharp spikey points, almost teeth sticking out, that you don’t want to touch, but you can imagine the bite.
Mikami is a force of nature as Rita. She exudes a mixture of determination and anger that really makes her a threat. No matter how much the loop restarts, it’s just extra fuel for Rita. Mikami also shares a vulnerability within Rita. There is a clear sense of someone who struggles to really connect with people, but is ok with being alone. Even without the time loop, she wasn’t willing to make a move.
Hanae brings a lot of heart to Keiji. He does come across as a kind soul who’s put up with negative from other people, so it’s far easier to stay in the back or laugh it off.
Looking at the chemistry between Rita and Keiji, they are completely different personalities. One doesn’t shy away from a fight; the other does, but we do see how both impact each other. Rita is more open because she has someone who understands the situation she is in, whereas Keiji is seeing someone taking the fight head-on, which he realizes he can’t sit back. The loop, in a way, enabled both to actually confront the lack of confidence and lack of fight that was always there.
All You Need is Kill at no point feels repetitive, as, instead of presenting the time-loop as inevitable, it is actually a challenge to grow, which both Rita and Keiji did in one way or another. All it took was an alien plant that could bend time
Review Courtesy of Matthew Allan
Feature Image from IMDb