As the Gods Will

As the Gods Will (2014) is a relentless exercise in Japanese horror, where ennui meets existential dread. High school student Shun Takahata, weary of the routine monotony, prays for change. His wish materializes in a grotesque manner, trapping him and his classmates in a deadly game of survival against monstrous puppets. A talking Daruma doll and a sharp-clawed lucky cat enforce twisted rules, transforming mundane school corridors into a labyrinth of terror. Director Kôji Shiraishi crafts a claustrophobic, nightmarish descent into the darkest recesses of the human psyche.