The Senritsu Kaiki and Noroi auteur pilots his upcoming feature film at Fantasia 2025
Airing as part of Fantasia’s “Things that Go Bump in the East” shorts program, Red Spider Lilies: The Ascension is a pilot short for writer-director Koji Shiraishi’s ambitious new supernatural revenge feature, also selected for the Shorts to Features market at Fantasia Frontières. It’s an effective proof of concept, offering a compact, compelling dose of Shiraishi’s signature blend of frights and fun. What begins as a theatrically staged Japanese exorcism soon snaps into a diabolical trap for revenge, delivered with the humor and high-gloss energy seen in House of Sayuri and Shiraishi’s other recent work.
After a phantom nail pierces Kotoko Aoi’s (Tomomi Kono) eye in a supernatural attack, her sisters Nana (Tomona Hirota) and Ami (Eriko Nakamura) call on famed TV exorcist Teshigawara (Hirotaro Honda) and his rookie assistant Suzuki (Kenta Kiguchi) for help. Teshigawara uncovers an ancient samurai-era curse on the Aoi family and quickly gets to work purifying their period Japanese home. However, Teshigawara soon realizes he’s entangled in something far darker as his shared personal demons with the Aoi family begin to surface.
What immediately engages about Red Spider Lilies: The Ascension is Shiraishi’s knack for sharp characterization, brought to life by a tight-knit cast. Each of the Aoi sisters gets their moment in the spotlight–Nana’s quiet compassion, Kotoko’s commanding presence, and Ami’s playful energy, especially as she cheerfully bops along to Buddhist sutras during the purification ceremony. Honda’s role as Teshigawara is enjoyably slimy, turning in a champagne-on-a-beer-budget version of a Japanese Father Merrin complete with fishing line magic tricks that threaten to go haywire.
Without delving into spoilers, much of Red Spider Lilies: The Ascension is a mood-setter for larger narrative ambitions while still functioning as an exciting, self-contained short film. With limited runtime and resources, Shiraishi wastes no time in getting to some fun supernatural set pieces. The opening is effectively creepy, striking a balance between tasteful gore and darker, unseen forces. The central exorcism sequence unfolds at a methodical pace, making room for theatrical monologues that reveal diabolical intent, as well as a splash of lo-fi, John Carpenter-inspired creature chaos. Shiraishi fans may also spot nods to the director’s broader “Shiraverse,” hopefully hinting at deeper connections in the upcoming feature film.
Fitting Red Spider Lilies: The Ascension’s title, Cinematographer Kei Nakase makes space for plenty of color across the short’s runtime, with the finale making eye-popping use of surreal colorscapes within the tight confines of a tatami room. Cinematographer Kei Nakase makes bold use of color throughout, with the finale bursting into surreal hues inside the tight frame of a tatami room.
Red Spider Lilies: The Ascension is a punchy, playful supernatural ride—with practical effects and an ensemble of well-crafted characters making a compelling case for Koji Shirashi’s future feature-length version.
Red Spider Lilies: The Ascension had its North American premiere at the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival, with a feature film version currently in development.
