I Am a Hero

On a routine drive home, Hideo Suzuki witnesses a fatal crash where the victim seems to die only to rise and wander off. Is it a hallucination or something far worse? As the city trembles, a strange contagion spreads, turning ordinary people into unpredictable threats. Hideo, a weary yet quick witted man, becomes entangled with Hiromi Hayakari and Nurse Yabu as they navigate barricades, crowded subways, and deserted streets. The story pivots between bleak humor and brutal crisis, focusing on small choices, what to save, what to leave behind, when help is scarce and danger is everywhere. The line between bystander and participant blurs as fear reshapes daily life.

Directed by Shinsuke Sato, the film adapts Kengo Hanazawa's manga with a script by Akiko Nogi. This 2016 live action release embraces a grounded, urban horror tone, balancing gritty realism with sudden bursts of action and a cold city atmosphere.

Box office figures aren't included in the data here, but the film generated interest for its faithful manga adaptation and its release in Japan along with a limited international rollout, where audiences recognized Sato's tonal shift from glossy thrillers to grim survival drama.

Cultural impact centers on turning a familiar zombie premise into a sharp look at ordinary life under siege. The film foregrounds human decisions under pressure, the fragility of social order, and how fear reshapes relationships on a crowded, modern battlefield. It inspired conversations about resilience, community, and the price of apocalyptic spectacle.

Reception highlighted solid performances by Yo Oizumi and Kasumi Arimura and a sustained sense of dread that stays with you between set pieces. The film asks, through isolation, routine versus crisis, and moral choices under pressure, what kind of people we become when civilization fractures. Critics noted Sato's ability to maintain momentum while preserving character depth, and praised the film for its somber mood rather than pure gore, delivering a confident, character driven survival thriller.