Conceptual artist Joan Fontcuberta once said “photography is a tool to negotiate our idea of reality.” He and other artists like him have made it their life’s work to challenge the accuracy of their medium and toy with the viewer’s impression. Someone such as Kai (Hideki Nagai), however, prefers veracity over falsity. The rigid character in Takeshi Kushida’s Woman of the Photographs (Shashin no on’na) has spent his career helping clients not only deceive others but also themselves. It is only when Kai meets an unusual woman does his own perception begin to change.

Woman of the Photographs is a movie its director self-described as “romance horror.” That description might immediately bring up memories of something like Audition, but Kushida’s first feature hasn’t a sinister bone in its entire body. Nevertheless, it is equally perplexing and layered, and sometimes the imagery can be alarming. The story’s slight mood change sneaks up on viewers after they have been calmed by a summary of Kai’s daily routine. He continues to run his late father’s photography business, although changing times have forced Kai to spend most days digitally doctoring photos. 

The alluring Kyōko (Itsuki Ōtaki), a young social-media influencer who struggles to maintain her brand, bears fresh abrasions incurred from a recent outdoor photoshoot. Upon seeing how Kai can then “fix” her pictures with a few clicks of a mouse, Kyōko invites herself into his home and life. The two soon become dependent on one another, engaging in a mutually beneficial relationship that gradually transforms from plain awkward to straight-up unorthodox. Their courting dance is one filled with discovery, both self and of the world around them.

Woman of the Photographs has a lot on its plate despite its deceptively simple story. While the movie concerns two weirdos meeting and falling in bizarre love, the director also imbues his thoughtful movie with commentary on isolation. Be it physical, emotional or social, the characters here are disconnected from everyone else. Kai has virtually resigned himself to a vow of silence, never saying much of anything in the whole movie. His cheerless demeanor, without question, is a result of his occupation. By retouching clients’ photos to the point of sterility, Kai loses a part of himself. Whereas Kyōko’s fabricated online persona works a little too well because in due time, her fabricated image takes a toll on both her follower count and her sponsorship.

The movie’s grisly element comes out after Kyōko uploads the unedited photos to her account; she displays the gaping wound on her collarbone and the scratches on her face. The response is surprisingly positive for a short while. Yet like before, Kyōko believes she must maintain this image at all cost if she wants to be accepted; she picks at her gash, refusing to let it heal. In the same moment, Kai finds ghoulish pleasure in Kyōko’s self-harm. The minor bits of autosadism will possibly lead to brief squeamishness, due in large part to the textured sound design, but that’s about as far as the movie goes with its bodily or psychological horror.

Woman of the Photographs is a polished and stunning debut that touches on more than invented appearances and the happiness a good lie can provide. It is never as subtle as one might like in their arthouse fare, but as something quirky and horror adjacent, the movie strikes all the right poses.

Woman of the Photographs, after having its North American premiere at Fantasia Fest 2020, is now playing in select theaters, is available on VOD, and can be found at digital retailers.