Freeze Me – Kani Releasing (Blu-ray) 

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 2000
Director: Takashi Ishii
Writer: Takashi Ishii
Cast: Harumi Inoue, Shingo Tsurumi, Kazuki Kitamura, Shunsuke Matsuoka, Daisuke Iijima, Yôzaburô Itô, Naoto Takenaka

Release Date: August 19th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 102 Minutes 10 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $39.98

"Five years ago, Chihiro was raped by three men. The crime was captured on video, its images hanging over her life like a sword. Having left her rural hometown for the big city, she has managed to start anew. She works an office job and is about to marry her boyfriend when one of her assailants shows up at her doorstep, threatens blackmail, and warns her: they are back; it is happening again. Now waking to a recurring nightmare, Chihiro is shocked into an unexpected set of actions—actions that will keep her abusers close, forever." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "2K Restoration."

Freeze Me comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 31.8 GB

Feature: 26.9 GB

Although there are still some very minor imperfections, the bulk of this transfer looks excellent. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity and compression are solid, black levels are strong, and the image looks organic.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 59 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with cinematographer Yasushi Sasakibara (17 minutes 9 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), a slipcover (limited to 1,000 units), a 24-page booklet with an essay titled Takashi Ishii’s Freeze Me and the Evolution of the Pink Film written by Samm Deighan, and a product registration card for appliances.

Summary:

Takashi Ishii wrote and directed Freeze Me. He’s known for Alone in the Night, Angel Guts: Red Flash, A Nude in Night, Original Sin, Gonin, Gonin 2, Black Angel, and Black Angel 2. Besides being a filmmaker, he was also a manga artist whose series Angel Guts was made into a series of films. His notable screenwriting credits for films he did not direct include Evil Dead Trap, Scent of a Spell, and Love Hotel. In the case of the latter, he would rework that film's screenplay for his directorial debut, Angel Guts: Red Vertigo.

A woman flees her hometown and moves to Tokyo after being raped by three men. Five years later she has put together a new life and has found happiness. Her trauma from that event comes back when her attackers show up one by one to pick up where they left off.

Takashi Ishii was a filmmaker who worked extensively in Pinku Eiga, a genre of films known for pushing taboo subject matter and graphic violence. That said, despite having all of the elements synonymous with Pinku Eiga, his films were bleaker than his contemporaries'. For Freeze Me, he would create a psychological melodrama that is something more than a Pinku Eiga film, despite incorporating many of this genre's staples.

When we are introduced to the protagonist, Chihiro, she is full of life, having fun with her friends and coworkers. She lives alone in an apartment that offers her security from the outside world; she has added additional locks to keep unwanted people out. Though she has gone out of her way to find a place where she can feel safe, it ultimately serves as her prison she cannot flee from.

There are two sets of characters in Freeze Me: the passive good guy that Chihiro works with and is in a relationship with, and the brutal take-it-by-force men from her past. Harumi Inoue is cast in the role of Chihiro, and she delivers a pitch-perfect portrayal of a character descending into madness. Though her character's arc is clear, when her moment of truth arrives, it does not lessen the impact of her final choice.

After establishing where Chihiro is now mentally and emotionally in the opening moments, the narrative slowly works in moments from her past, further fleshing out her story. Each of her attackers shows up one by one and has an opportunity to be alone with her. Although early on with the first attacker, she has opportunities to free herself of him; she does not strike until she reaches her breaking point. When the latter two attackers arrive, she is more methodical in their killings. She gets freezers for each man that she positions around her tiny apartment, unable to move the bodies and needing somewhere to put them while they rot. The bulk of the last 30 minutes is Chihiro, totally deranged, talking to the three corpses. Ultimately, Freeze Me is an exemplary example of a revenge film, making it a must-see for fans of this genre.

Freeze Me gets an excellent release from Kani Releasing that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a pair of insightful extras; highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer