Stream it:
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With: Kikunosuke Toya, Ryan Colt Levy, Reina Ueda, Alexis Tipton, Tomori Kusunoki, Suzie Yeung, Shogo Sakata, Reagan Murdock
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Written by: Hiroshi Seko, based on the manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto
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Directed by: Tatsuya Yoshihara
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MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence/gore and some nudity
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Language: Japanese, with English subtitles
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Running Time: 100
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Date: 10/24/2025
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Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc (2025)
Rip Roaring
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
Tatsuya Yoshihara's Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc is not a good starting place for newbies, nor is it by any means for kids, but for those that devoured the anime series, this feature is thrilling, exciting, slickly edited, and emotionally potent.
Following the battle at the conclusion of the Chainsaw Man series, Power is taken in to have excess blood drained (she drank too much), and Makima assigns Denji a new "buddy," a shark fiend called Beam. She also asks Denji out on a movie date, which sends his heart reeling. The date goes swimmingly well, and Denji fancies himself in love.
Then, during a rainstorm, he winds up sharing an empty phone booth with the flirty Reze, who invites him to visit her at the cafe where she works. Before long, Denji feels torn: he likes both girls in different ways! Things change one night when Denji and Reze attend a festival. During a fireworks show, something sinister is revealed. Denji and his friends have the fight of their lives on their hands.
The hero Chainsaw Man doesn't even appear for the first long section of Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc. Rather, it focuses on Denji's troublesome teen crush situation in a way that feels genuine. (His humility and inexperience make him endearing.) Meanwhile, Denji's housemate and co-worker Aki also has a new partner in Angel Devil that is causing trouble, given that Angel Devil is both lazy and lacks empathy for human suffering. All of these characters are nicely balanced with humor and heart, with glaring flaws and genuine cool. (Sadly, the third housemate, the surly, petulant — but hilarious and lovable —Power, disappears after the opening sequences, returning only for a post-credits button.)
When the big showdown finally occurs, it's worth the wait. We know the characters, and we understand what's at stake. The battle is three-dimensional, taking place in the sky and on the ground and in the water, smashing through buildings and blacktop and other obstacles at breathtaking speed, with an impact we can feel. Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc is also just a little bit bonkers, but when it ends it all feels just right.
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