IMDb 5.5 2021 HD

Homunculus

Homunculus

2021
Drama Thriller
119 min TV-MA Japan
6.029 / 10
5.5 IMDB

A homeless man meets a medical school student who pays him to volunteer for a surgical procedure known as trepanation, drilling a hole in his skull, which ends…

Personnel // Cast & Crew

Director Takashi Shimizu / Yuki Kishizuka
Starring
Go Ayano / Ryo Narita / Yukino Kishii / Anna Ishii / Seiyo Uchino / Yumiko Nakamura

How Viewers Describe This Film

Common themes and sentiments

intriguing unsettling psychological thought-provoking dark original disturbing atmospheric challenging unique cerebral intense

Reviews

I
Isabelle Dubois
Mar 29, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

'Homunculus' is a film that will undoubtedly divide audiences, but for those willing to engage with its challenging premise, there's a great deal to unpack. The core idea of trepanation opening a gateway to the subconscious is a…

S
Sebastian Thorne
Mar 29, 2026
4.5 / 5
4.5

This is a film that dares to be different. 'Homunculus' takes a radical premise – a surgical procedure granting access to the subconscious – and runs with it, delivering a truly original and often gripping experience. The direction…

P
Penelope Green
Mar 29, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

'Homunculus' attempts a fascinating exploration of the subconscious, centred on a medical experiment with profound consequences. The film's strength lies in its initial concept and the unsettling atmosphere it conjures. Go Ayano's performance is central to grounding the…

M
Marcus Bellweather
Mar 29, 2026
4.0 / 5
4.0

With 'Homunculus', the director has crafted a film that is as thought-provoking as it is visually arresting. The central conceit of trepanation unlocking access to the subconscious is a bold stroke, and the execution largely lives up to…

E
Eleanor Vance
Mar 29, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

Director Unknown's 'Homunculus' presents a conceptually intriguing, if occasionally uneven, dive into the human psyche. The premise, a homeless man gaining the ability to communicate with the subconscious after trepanation, is undeniably potent. Go Ayano anchors the film…

FAQs

Instead of relying on external monsters or jump scares, 'Homunculus' appears to draw its unsettling nature from within. The 'dark side of the subconscious' suggests a more internalised horror, focusing on the psychological and the primal aspects of human nature that are typically suppressed. This approach offers a unique exploration of dread, rooted in the unsettling realisation of what lurks beneath the surface of ordinary minds, rather than conventional external threats.