"No Shark Attacks, while someone's on the Toilet." Netflix's Death Note Review

Netflix's Death Note

1/5

Directed by: Adam Wingard

Rated: TV-MA

           "Death Note" is a manga (Japanese graphic novel) written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. Releasing its chapters on a weekly basis in Shonen Jump magazine, the series began in 2003 and concluded in 2006. Upon its completion, studio Madhouse adapted the manga into an anime. By then, "Death Note" had a received critical praise, sold millions of copies, and became a national phenomenon. Years later, the producers at Netflix believed they could tap into this series' appeal, and so on August 25th, 2017, Adam Wingard's TV movie Death Note was released unto the world. It is, however, an appalling disaster.
           Netflix's Death Note is neither a meaningful adaptation, nor a memorable new story based on the limitless source material. While the first three chapters of the manga (or first three episodes of the anime) inspired a few of the movie's inciting scenes, the rest of Netflix's Death Note seeks to create its own original, although misguided, storyline. Light Turner, played by an uptight Nat Wolff, is an uninteresting loner in a high school in Seattle, Washington. One overcast day he finds a Death Note, a notebook with the ability to kill anyone whose name is written in it, as long as the users request follows all 100 plus of the Death Note's rules. With this new found power, Light decides to do nothing with it, until the death god, Ryuk, portrayed by an unnecessarily nasally Willem Dafoe, convinces Light to use the Death Note and kill his personal enemies. Afterwards, Light uses the Death Note to impress his cheerleader crush, Mia Sutton, played palely by an always moody Margaret Qualley. Together, after the two of them delight in some obligatory sordid high school fantasies, they decide to use the notebook to kill off criminals, terrorists, and convince the world that they are a god.

           While this may appear to be a somewhat enticing premise, the movie's execution is neither coherent nor entertaining. The screenplay is comprised of forgettable lines, and more than three lackluster plot twists. The movie cycles through a barrage of conflicting genres. It starts as an excessively bloody horror flick (similar to 2000's Final Destination), becomes an overbearing gothic romance, turns into an uninspired mystery, and ends as an over the top melodramatic comedy (this last one may have been unintentional). As the plot progresses, it feels inclined to invite a slew of characters. When characters are introduced, it is done without sufficient exposition. This makes what could have been an intriguing lineup of personas, into a string of flimsy one dimensional archetypes.

CGI Ryuk (Willem Dafoe)

           Along with the story's meager execution, the movie is atrocious from a technical standpoint. The editing is a grab bag of wipes, fades, and poor cuts. Gaffs, such as disappearing props, costume mistakes, and basic continuity errors, are visible throughout the movie's runtime. Most of these errors are obvious, and could have been easily cut from the finished product. Perhaps the editors thought these mistakes would go unnoticed, due to the movie's pitch black aesthetic. Scenes are poorly lit with a mixture of heavy handed neon glows and unflattering darkness. The costume designer also saw it fitting for characters to wear all black outfits. Often times, performers seem to be nothing more than floating heads. The only character silhouette standing out in this gloomy atmosphere is Ryuk. However, Ryuk's CGI physique is animated so poorly, the lighting is used to hide his cheap character design. He only appears feasible when he is obscured by shelves, or blurred out by the camera. The few moments featuring Ryuk's carelessly animated face, remind audiences of this movie's fakery and devoid world.

Light Yagami and Ryuk (Takeshi Obata)

           Beyond all of these glaring flaws, Netflix's Death Note fails to capture the heart and blackened soul that made Ohba and Obata's manga an engaging page turner, protagonist Light Yagami. In the manga, Light is an acknowledged genius, placing first in national exams. He is a gifted individual, with two loving parents and an adorable sister. He is also bored. When the Death Note falls into Light's possession, he uses its power to kill thousands of the world's criminals, through unnatural heart attacks, and in time people begin hailing him as a god, Kira. "Death Note" hinges on Light's cunning plans, talent at dodging suspicion, and moral aptitude to use and dispose of his close allies. He is a corrupt antihero, and one that millions of people unnaturally root for and read about countless times. His abandoned morality begs readers to question their own sense of justice, and ask themselves what they would do if they found a Death Note.

Light Turner (Nat Wolff)

           Director Adam Wingard answered this hypothetical question with Light Turner. This unimpressive high schooler uses his Death Note to impress a girl, and force people to believe he is a god. He also delights in writing unique and grotesque murders in his Death Note. While this makes Light out to be an edgy and disturbed teenager, he also exhibits traits contradicting this viscous side. In frightful moments, Light immaturely panics, childishly screams, and makes impractical demands of those around him. The movie wants to amend this by showing off Light's potential brain power. It does this through flashbacks showing how Light improbably predicted a fatal scenario, and showing what he wrote in the Death Note in order to run away from his fate. This makes Light's few moments of supposed planning into to tropic dues ex machinas (an unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a contrived plot device in a play or novel: Oxford Dictionaries) It is hard to root for this obnoxious protagonist. The majority of viewers will hope Light meets a fate similar to the gory deaths he has inflicted on others. Considering the movie follows his exploits and character development (or in this case lack of), the story's impact rests on him. Regrettably, Light Turner lets the movie fall, crashing down like an over bloated CGI Ferris wheel.

Verdict: With flat characters,  a hollow screenplay, unflattering camera work, and poor execution of an ingenious premise, Netflix's Death Note is an ungodly adaptation of a brilliant manga.