Movie Description
Versus is a 2000 Japanese independent zombie action film co-written, produced, and directed by Ryuhei Kitamura. The film is set somewhere in the deep forest of Japan, known as the Forest of Resurrection, where an escaped convict simply referred to as "Prisoner KSC2-303" and a gang of Yakuza battle a horde of zombies while at the same time dealing with their sinister leader who wishes to open to forest's portal of darkness.
Originally intended as a sequel to Kitamura's Down to Hell, the script surpassed expectations and ultimately evolved into a different film. Though the film was not released theatrically worldwide (except in France), Versus managed to gain a cult following after its DVD release. In 2004, an extended version called Ultimate Versus was released which included 10 minutes of new footage, as well as additional new music, CGI, and a few editing tweaks.
Versus combines elements of multiple genres such as gunplay, martial arts action, chanbara sword fighting, zombie horror, and comedy. Director Kitamura chose this creative decision because he believed Versus could have been his first and last film he'd ever produce and chose to risk everything by adding film elements that influenced him.