Director: Kensuke Sonomura
Notable Cast: Masanori Mimoto, Miu, Ikumi Goto, Tasuku
Nagase
Just a few months ago, word about a fantastic low budget
martial arts thriller started to pop up in the social media circles that I
frequent. Hydra had the potential to be the next big thing in terms of
its star and director was what the dredges of the internet churned out. When
Well Go USA picked up the film for distribution, to be available via their
streaming service Hi Yah first before receiving a Blu Ray and DVD release, it
seemed to verify the rumors. However, for fans of martial arts films - even low
budget DIY ones like the previously reviewed Silat Warriors, temper the
expectations. Hydra is a fascinatingly artistic take on the usual tropes
of the action and martial arts genre and it’s one that intentionally defies
some tropes while actively grasping onto others with a death grip. The
combination proves to be infinitely intriguing, but not one that may appeal to
all fans of the genre.