Launching on February 27, the first look at the live-action film adaptation of Demon City has been unveiled. Based on the comic “Oni Goroshi,” which ran from 2020 to November 2024, this revenge tragedy unfolds in the provincial city of Shinjo, following a hitman seeking vengeance after losing his wife and daughter. Known for its intense and brutal depiction of violence, the comic captivated readers and is now being brought to life on screen.

The film is written and directed by Seiji Tanaka. His first feature-length film, Melancholic, won the Japanese Cinema Splash Best Director Award at the 31st Tokyo International Film Festival and the White Mulberry award for Best First Film at the 21st  Far East Film Festival, the largest Asian film festival in Europe. Melancholic exhibited genre-defying storytelling that combines drama, suspense, comedy and horror, establishing Tanaka as a talented young director.

Demon City stars Toma Ikuta, who moved audiences to tears with his role in the Netflix series Beyond Goodbye. This time around, he plays the violent hitman Shuhei Sakata, who swears to avenge his beloved wife and daughter. Sakata fights an organization of strange masked criminals who control the city of Shinjo from the shadows. The organization’s members are portrayed by some of Japan’s most talented actors, including Matsuya Onoe, Masahiro Higashide, Masanobu Takashima and Mio Tanaka.

Catch Demon City, streaming February 27, only on Netflix.

Netflix Film Demon City Starring: Toma Ikuta, Masahiro Higashide, Mio Tanaka, Ami Toma, Taro Suruga, Mai Kiryu, Naoto Takenaka, Takuma Otoo, Masanobu Takashima, Matsuya Onoe Based on the manga: “Oni Goroshi” by Masamichi Kawabe (Nihon Bungeisha) Director and Screenplay: Seiji Tanaka (“Melancholic”) Producer: Yasuhiro Masaoka, Takeshi Sawa Production: Amuse, Digital Frontier Produced by: Netflix

(Source: Netflix)