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Audition is a 1999 Japanese horror film directed by Takashi Miike. The movie is based on a novel by Ryu Murakami and stars Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, and Tetsu Sawaki. The movie tells the story of Shigeharu Aoyama, a lonely widower and successful businessman who decides to start dating again. The film opens with a montage of Aoyama's life - his time with his wife, his son, work, and his lonely existence without love. His son, worried that his father is getting too old and that he will continue to suffer alone, suggests that he should remarry. Encouraged by his son's words, Aoyama holds clandestine auditions to find the ideal woman to marry.

In order to hold the audition, Aoyama and his friend set up a fake audition for a movie that doesn't exist. They use the audition as a pretext to meet a group of beautiful women, pre-screened by Aoyama's friend. The women come from different backgrounds and professions, and Aoyama interviews them one at a time. Among the women is Asami, a beautiful, shy, and soft-spoken girl whom Aoyama becomes drawn to.

Asami's audition is successful, and Aoyama invites her to dinner. They have a pleasant conversation, and Asami reveals that she was once an avid ballet dancer. Despite Asami's apparent shyness and vulnerability, Aoyama feels drawn to her and decides to pursue her. However, as their relationship develops, disturbing events begin to unfold.

Throughout the film, Miike uses his exceptional directorial skills to create and relieve tense situations that keep the viewers on edge. The movie's unsettling tone is established early on, with the first half of the film employing minimalistic pacing and dialogue driven by complex characters, subtleties in Innüenedo-Tékoku cinematography, and symbolic imagery.

Asami is a character that is both intriguing and strange. The tension between her and Aoyama is electric, and as the movie progresses, her true nature is revealed to be far darker than her shy, innocent exterior suggested. The film takes several twists and turns, and as the story progresses, it becomes darker and more violent. The movie's climax is especially brutal, and it is here that the true intent of the movie is revealed.

Audition explores themes of loneliness, regret, and the lengths that people will go to hide their true nature. The movie is a masterful mix of psychological horror and character study, with excellent performances from its cast. The cinematography is stunning, with the use of deep reds and soft blues to create an atmosphere that is both picturesque and unsettling.

Overall, Audition is a highly recommended movie for fans of horror and psychological suspense. It is an excellent example of Miike's unique style, and it has rightfully earned its place as a classic of the horror genre.

Audition is a 1999 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 55 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.1 and a MetaScore of 70.