Incomplete Chairs (2025) Review: Brooklyn Horror Film Festival

If you could choose between two chairs, one more expensive than the other, which one would you want to sit in?

Shinsuke Kujo (Ryu Ichinose), a renowned chair craftsman, asks this same question to those who sit across from him seeking an opportunity to work with him; right before he bludgeons them to death. Director Kenichi Ugana plays around with dark humor and twists with charismatic savagery in his latest film, Incomplete Chairs. It's no secret what Kujo is up to. He wants to make the perfect luxury chair, no matter how many body parts it takes to get there. 

An art dealer, Natsuko (Ryoka Oshima), shows interest in Kujo's work and is willing to work with him until he presents his ultimate masterpiece. During a conversation the two have while at a bar, it's clear that Ugana's film is about more than just chairs and gore. Kujo explains to Natsuko that chairs, like handbags, do the same thing but certain people are willing to pay more for them based on the brand. By the end of the film it's clear that Kujo is out for more than body parts, but he has a vendetta against the entire chair industry. Ugana's film is social commentary wrapped up in blood, guts, and torture. 

J-horror fans will find plenty to love with this one, while others may find it's heavy dialogue and exposition moments a chore to get through for the good stuff. But it's worth your while. Ugana's lens doesn't shy away from the gross and disturbing but instead brings it center screen in all its gory glory. Ichinose as Kujo is one of the best things about this film. He draws you in, just like those who found themselves sitting in one of his chairs, only to transform as he spirals out of control. 

What Incomplete Chairs lacks in originality, it makes up for it in performances and storytelling. Watching Kujo become unhinged over time, hanging up body parts on his balcony and taking out random people he comes across, makes the journey an entertaining one. 

This film was reviewed during Brooklyn Horror Film Festival 2025.