Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc (2025)
Movie · 2025 · Animation, Action, Romance, Fantasy · 1h 40m · R · Japanese
Curator score: 9.3/10 (599.2K ratings)
Tagline: Lost Love, Flower, Chainsaw.
In a brutal war between devils, hunters, and secret enemies, a mysterious girl named Reze has stepped into Denji's world, and he faces his deadliest battle yet, fueled by love in a world where survival knows no rules.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 9.3/10
- IMDb: 8.3/10
- Letterboxd: 4.35/5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
- Metacritic: 71
- TMDB: 8.4/10
Director: Tatsuya Yoshihara
Production: MAPPA
Cast: Kikunosuke Toya, Tomori Kusunoki, Reina Ueda, Shogo Sakata, Karin Takahashi, Fairouz Ai, Natsuki Hanae, Maaya Uchida, Yuuya Uchida, Shiori Izawa, Hidenori Takahashi, Kenjiro Tsuda, Marina Inoue, Kenji Akabane, Kenji Nomura, Kenichi Ono, Yuhko Kaida, Eri Kitamura, Kento Shiraishi, Taro Kiuchi
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Curator Review
Verdict: A high-energy, emotionally bruising action-romance with standout animation, sharp tonal whiplash, and a surprisingly tender core. It should land especially well if you like stylized violence, messy coming-of-age stories, and love stories that curdle into betrayal.
Best for: fans of dark, kinetic anime action; viewers who like romance mixed with horror and tragedy; people drawn to emotionally damaged protagonists; animation fans who value expressive direction and set-piece spectacle
Skip if: you want a straightforward heroic fantasy; you dislike graphic violence and body horror; you prefer romance without manipulation or emotional cruelty; you want a self-contained entry with minimal prior context
Overview: Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc thrives on contrast: childish longing against adult predation, sincere affection against weaponized intimacy, and explosive action against aching loneliness. The result is a film that feels both feral and fragile, using its chaos to sharpen Denji’s emotional emptiness rather than distract from it.
Worth noting: The animation and direction are the main attraction, turning the city into a pressure cooker and the action into something both grotesque and exhilarating. Even when the movie is at its loudest, it keeps circling back to the same painful idea: Denji wants ordinary love, but ordinary love is the one thing this world keeps denying him.
Bottom line: What makes it stick is how funny, sad, and cruel it can be in the same breath. If you respond to stories where romance is inseparable from danger, and where spectacle is in service of character damage, this is a very strong watch.
Top Letterboxd reviews:
- tinonlyfans: makima would love letterboxd
- LalinPinguin: Does this count as lovebombing?
- mai: manic pixie dream girl vs. arthouse film cinephile baddie
- Niraj⚡: everybody wants chainsaw's heart, nobody wants denji's heart ✋🏻😔
- hallie 🐅: Denji gets five big booms
Recommended similar titles:
- Akira (1988 · Animation, Science Fiction, Action · 2h 4m · R · Curator 8.9/10 (989.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Crunchyroll)
A landmark of kinetic animation, urban dread, and adolescent volatility, with a similar mix of spectacle and emotional instability.
- Perfect Blue (1998 · Animation, Thriller · 1h 22m · R · Curator 9.2/10 (1.2M ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
For viewers drawn to psychological unease, identity fracture, and the way intimacy can become threatening.
- Ninja Scroll (1993 · Fantasy, Animation, Action · 1h 34m · NR · Curator 7.8/10 (38.4K ratings) · Where to watch: HiDive)
A brutal, glossy action anime that pairs extreme violence with mythic momentum and adult stakes.
- Ghost in the Shell (1995 · Action, Animation, Science Fiction · 1h 23m · NR · Curator 8.7/10 (568.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads)
Shares the cool, melancholy futurism and philosophical undercurrent beneath the action surface.
- Paprika (2006 · Science Fiction, Thriller, Animation · 1h 30m · R · Curator 8.7/10 (634K ratings))
For its surreal visual invention and the sense of reality collapsing into emotional chaos.
- A Silent Voice: The Movie (2016 · Animation, Drama, Romance · 2h 9m · NR · Curator 9.1/10 (910.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Crunchyroll)
If the emotional core of damaged youth and hard-won connection is what resonates most.
- Your Name. (2016 · Animation, Romance, Drama · 1h 46m · PG · Curator 9.2/10 (1.9M ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
A popular but effective contrast: youthful romance under pressure, with fate and identity in the mix.
- Weathering with You (2019 · Animation, Drama, Fantasy · 1h 52m · PG-13 · Curator 6.5/10 (340.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
For a modern anime romance where desire, weather, and city life create a heightened emotional world.
- The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006 · Fantasy, Animation, Drama · 1h 38m · NR · Curator 7.4/10 (203K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
A strong fit for youthful emotion, impulsive choices, and the bittersweet edge of first love.
- Howl's Moving Castle (2004 · Fantasy, Animation, Adventure · 1h 59m · PG · Curator 9.4/10 (2.8M ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
For its blend of fantasy, romance, body transformation, and anti-war energy.
- Black Swan (2010 · Drama, Thriller, Horror · 1h 48m · R · Curator 8.9/10 (3.7M ratings))
A good match for obsession, bodily anxiety, and the collapse of a fragile self under pressure.
- Drive (2011 · Drama, Thriller, Crime · 1h 40m · R · Curator 7.9/10 (2.5M ratings))
For viewers who like stylized violence paired with a lonely, almost fairy-tale sense of romance.
Topics: dark fantasy, action anime, romantic tragedy, body horror, coming-of-age, urban decay, psychological drama, stylized violence, tragic romance
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/movie/chainsaw-man-the-movie-reze-arc/1218925
Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc (2025)
Movie · 2025 · Animation, Action, Romance, Fantasy · 1h 40m · R · Japanese
Curator score: 9.3/10 (599.2K ratings)
Lost Love, Flower, Chainsaw.
Overview In a brutal war between devils, hunters, and secret enemies, a mysterious girl named Reze has stepped into Denji's world, and he faces his deadliest battle yet, fueled by love in a world where survival knows no rules.
Ratings
Curator score: 9.3/10
IMDb: 8.3/10
Letterboxd: 4.35/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
Metacritic: 71
TMDB: 8.4/10
Director Tatsuya Yoshihara
Cast Kikunosuke Toya, Tomori Kusunoki, Reina Ueda, Shogo Sakata, Karin Takahashi, Fairouz Ai, Natsuki Hanae, Maaya Uchida, Yuuya Uchida, Shiori Izawa, Hidenori Takahashi, Kenjiro Tsuda, Marina Inoue, Kenji Akabane, Kenji Nomura, Kenichi Ono, Yuhko Kaida, Eri Kitamura, Kento Shiraishi, Taro Kiuchi
Where to watch Crunchyroll
Curator Review
Verdict
A high-energy, emotionally bruising action-romance with standout animation, sharp tonal whiplash, and a surprisingly tender core. It should land especially well if you like stylized violence, messy coming-of-age stories, and love stories that curdle into betrayal.
Best for
fans of dark, kinetic anime action
viewers who like romance mixed with horror and tragedy
people drawn to emotionally damaged protagonists
animation fans who value expressive direction and set-piece spectacle
Skip if
you want a straightforward heroic fantasy
you dislike graphic violence and body horror
you prefer romance without manipulation or emotional cruelty
you want a self-contained entry with minimal prior context
Overview
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc thrives on contrast: childish longing against adult predation, sincere affection against weaponized intimacy, and explosive action against aching loneliness. The result is a film that feels both feral and fragile, using its chaos to sharpen Denji’s emotional emptiness rather than distract from it.
Worth noting
The animation and direction are the main attraction, turning the city into a pressure cooker and the action into something both grotesque and exhilarating. Even when the movie is at its loudest, it keeps circling back to the same painful idea: Denji wants ordinary love, but ordinary love is the one thing this world keeps denying him.
Bottom line
What makes it stick is how funny, sad, and cruel it can be in the same breath. If you respond to stories where romance is inseparable from danger, and where spectacle is in service of character damage, this is a very strong watch.
Top Letterboxd reviews
tinonlyfans (5★) · 19550 likes
makima would love letterboxd
LalinPinguin (5★) · 17864 likes
Does this count as lovebombing?
mai · 11345 likes
manic pixie dream girl vs. arthouse film cinephile baddie
Niraj⚡ (4.5★) · 7517 likes
everybody wants chainsaw's heart, nobody wants denji's heart ✋🏻😔
hallie 🐅 (4★) · 7421 likes
Denji gets five big booms
Recommended similar titles
1988 · Animation, Science Fiction, Action · 2h 4m · R · Curator 8.9/10 (989.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Crunchyroll
A landmark of kinetic animation, urban dread, and adolescent volatility, with a similar mix of spectacle and emotional instability.
1998 · Animation, Thriller · 1h 22m · R · Curator 9.2/10 (1.2M ratings) · Where to watch: Max
For viewers drawn to psychological unease, identity fracture, and the way intimacy can become threatening.
1993 · Fantasy, Animation, Action · 1h 34m · NR · Curator 7.8/10 (38.4K ratings) · Where to watch: HiDive
A brutal, glossy action anime that pairs extreme violence with mythic momentum and adult stakes.
1995 · Action, Animation, Science Fiction · 1h 23m · NR · Curator 8.7/10 (568.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Shares the cool, melancholy futurism and philosophical undercurrent beneath the action surface.
2006 · Science Fiction, Thriller, Animation · 1h 30m · R · Curator 8.7/10 (634K ratings)
For its surreal visual invention and the sense of reality collapsing into emotional chaos.
2016 · Animation, Drama, Romance · 2h 9m · NR · Curator 9.1/10 (910.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Crunchyroll
If the emotional core of damaged youth and hard-won connection is what resonates most.
2016 · Animation, Romance, Drama · 1h 46m · PG · Curator 9.2/10 (1.9M ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A popular but effective contrast: youthful romance under pressure, with fate and identity in the mix.
2019 · Animation, Drama, Fantasy · 1h 52m · PG-13 · Curator 6.5/10 (340.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
For a modern anime romance where desire, weather, and city life create a heightened emotional world.
2006 · Fantasy, Animation, Drama · 1h 38m · NR · Curator 7.4/10 (203K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A strong fit for youthful emotion, impulsive choices, and the bittersweet edge of first love.
2004 · Fantasy, Animation, Adventure · 1h 59m · PG · Curator 9.4/10 (2.8M ratings) · Where to watch: Max
For its blend of fantasy, romance, body transformation, and anti-war energy.
2010 · Drama, Thriller, Horror · 1h 48m · R · Curator 8.9/10 (3.7M ratings)
A good match for obsession, bodily anxiety, and the collapse of a fragile self under pressure.
2011 · Drama, Thriller, Crime · 1h 40m · R · Curator 7.9/10 (2.5M ratings)
For viewers who like stylized violence paired with a lonely, almost fairy-tale sense of romance.
Topics
dark fantasy, action anime, romantic tragedy, body horror, coming-of-age, urban decay, psychological drama, stylized violence, tragic romance
Open Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc (2025) on Curator TV