Alt-Idol goes to the Movies; NECRONOMIDOL and “Beyond the Red”

It’s been a whirl-wind of a month, and it’s been chock-full of music related posts. For that, I’m glad I’ve gotten back in the saddle and taken some time to write them up. I’m a bit behind on the times with getting this post up since it combines two things I love; alt-idol and dramas/movies.

Of course, I am talking about the ambitious and interesting project that is NECRONOMIDOL and their movie series? Drama series? Maybe both? Anyway, it’s time to talk about NECRONOMIDOL’s newest project, “Beyond the Red”.

Before we dive into the core content, we gotta lay out some ground elements for those who have no idea who these ladies are. NECRONOMIDOL is a Tokyo-based ultra dark idol unit that started up back in 2014. They were curated by Ricky Wilson, and have exploded on the alt-idol scene, at least from what I’ve seen.

They have 6 singles, and 4 albums out currently. On top of it, they have extensively toured in Europe, North America, and have more plans to continue their globe trotting. Additionally, they’ve had some member shake-ups but the core sound has remained the same.

Now, we can finally dive into the content itself; BEYOND THE RED.

I’ll admit; I’m not the biggest fan of NECRONOMIDOL. I know, I know, a shocker. They are always in my line of vision since they are quite popular within the alt-idol community. Not to mention they’ve done a lot to bring the community of fans together, as well as the artists themselves together. I’ve given them a casual listen or two and they’re just not quite my cup of tea.

The announcement of this project did get me curious. A lot of fans were hype about the series, given that it has roots in horror. It’s a genre I enjoy in small doses and to be honest; this is really well done. Given it’s short form, there’s not tons to go on. Being honest, the girls (so far) seem to be more or less cast as themselves, verses characters making the acting a bit to be desired. There’s nothing glaring or flawed in these first two episodes from the girls though.

I was pleasantly surprised, or rather found myself nodding in respect for the editing and delivery. This short film isn’t trying to re-invent horror as a genre. Aside from using an idol group as the main cast, there’s nothing particularly ‘new’ in this series either. And honestly; that’s part of the appeal.

What “BEYOND THE RED” is doing, is what too many people overlook when searching for content; taking the best of something even if it’s ‘cliche’. This series has so many carefully, and I’m assuming lovingly curated moments within the first two episodes that just… they’re perfect. This is the stuff of dreams for horror fans. Taking elements from various horror genres and films; found-footage editing/cuts, simple but terrifying set-ups, the familiar but off-putting elements that will set your hair on edge.

There are so many subtle details that only fans of horror can really appreciate. I listed the ones I know, and that’s only the ones I know of from the few horror films I’ve been exposed to. If someone like me can see these things, and be over the moon over I can only wonder what true horror fans will think!

For now, there’s only two episodes released clocking in at just under eight minutes a piece. They seem to be releasing one episode a month, each month until this project is finished. How many parts will there be? Only time will tell (or there was an announcement and I missed it).

So what are you waiting for? Grab a small bucket of popcorn, settle down for about seventeen minutes and get caught up! The English subtitles are already available!

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