Chainsaw Man’s first anime season arrived in 2022, delivering an idiosyncratic, blood-soaked series on the screen for anime fans to survive. Like many other anime franchises, the anime adaptation of creator Tatsuki Fujimoto decided to dodge a second season and leave it all on the silver screen for its next big story. Introducing Reze and the Bomb Devil in the bloody franchise’s first film, Chainsaw Man The Movie: The Reze Arc had stiff competition in the anime movie world in 2025. Despite other heavy hitters, Chainsaw Man’s first movie is unlike any other offering this year.
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Chainsaw Man The Movie begins almost immediately where the first season left off, seeing Denji living a “quiet life” of eradicating devils for the government. Living with co-workers Aki and Power, the Chainsaw Devil does the impossible and scores a date with his boss, Makima. While the pair seems to hit it off following a movie marathon, a major monkey wrench is thrown into Denji’s love life thanks to the arrival of Reze. The young coffee shop worker appears to fall head over heels for the titular anime protagonist, putting Denji into a difficult spot where he can’t choose which girl he wants to end up with. Unfortunately, a certain Bomb Devil has arrived to make life even more complicated for our hero.
The Reze Arc juggles both a compelling romantic story and some of the most mind-bending anime battles I’ve ever borne witness to. Studio MAPPA is firing on all cylinders with their latest theatrical offering, producing animation that can often be described as “experimental” during some of its wild battle scenes. While one big caveat is that Chainsaw Man The Movie: The Reze Arc doesn’t hold your hand in terms of telling you who Denji is and what took place in season one, it does provide a riveting, complete story that works quite well as a companion to the television series.
Rating: 4.5 Out Of 5
| PROS | CONS |
| A compelling, complete story that perfectly blends romance, action, and horror | Might be difficult for newcomers to wrap their heads around what’s going on if you didn’t see season one. |
| Studio MAPPA is at the top of its game with Chainsaw Man The Movie’s animation | The action and romantic/comedic elements are almost entirely split down the middle of the film |
| Takes what worked in Chainsaw Man season one and ups the ante across the board |
Reze: Best New Anime Character of 2025
We would be remiss if we didn’t talk about the newcomer Reze to the Chainsaw Man anime here. While we’ll try to dodge spoilers surrounding the character, it’s easy to touch upon the strengths of the woman entering Denji’s world. Considering how mind-bending and world-shattering the Chainsaw Devil’s battles are, you might be surprised to see that Reze’s arrival creates a truly compelling romance story for both her and Denji. Meeting by happenstance on a rain-soaked street, the pair of young lovers builds a relationship where Denji’s naivete is infectious as a protagonist. Reze clearly knows what she wants, and it’s up to the Chainsaw Devil to find love in response.
Reze feels like one of the freshest, most compelling new anime characters of 2025 thanks to her bubbly personality and her ability to change said bubbly personality on a dime. The newest object of Denji’s affection is a perfect compliment to the movie as a whole in that she can present quite a few different genres during her performance. Romance, comedy, horror, and action are all blended into the character, and she shoulders a great deal of what makes the movie work overall.
MAPPA’s Halloween Treat
One element that I was surprised by when it came to Chainsaw Man The Movie: The Reze Arc is how scary it could be. I’m no stranger to the Tatsuki Fujimoto shonen franchise, having read the entirety of the manga so far, but seeing how MAPPA was able to convey some of the creepier moments of the Bomb Devil’s storyline was a surprise. Denji’s first film has some genuinely unnerving scenes sprinkled throughout, making its arrival right during the Halloween season feel natural. Taking Fujimoto’s manga panels and bringing them to life is no easy task, but the production house finds some interesting ways to adapt said panels to the screen in ways that surpass the source material.
Chainsaw Man The Movie is a story of two Denjis, so when the action kicks off, it almost feels as though there are two different stories taking place. This is, of course, how the original story played out, so it makes sense that MAPPA would stay true to the letter of the law here. As for the action itself, Denji’s fight against the Bomb Devil feels like the best parts of a Zack Snyder action scene transplanted into the anime medium, with entire city blocks destroyed and the film never shying away from how devastating devil battles can truly be.
The devils themselves are also worth mentioning in terms of animation, as MAPPA truly captures the sheer unbelievable nature of some of these monstrosities. Denji riding on the back of a land-surfing Shark Devil while fighting what can only be described as a giant baby covered in intestines, who creates tornadoes, is almost impossible to comprehend, but the production studio nails it and then some. The choreography of the fights themselves, with MAPPA often using a style of animation that injects serious energy into the mix, is an easy recommendation for the biggest screen possible.
Chainsaw Man The Movie: The Reze Arc had major competition in 2025 when it comes to anime movies, but I can confidently say that I didn’t have as much fun with any of the other anime films that hit cinemas this year. Denji’s story revels in its energetic madness, finding a strong balance between its action, romance, and comedy. Even if you’re unfamiliar with the Chainsaw Devil’s lore, MAPPA’s latest film makes for one of the most fun experiences of 2025, anime or otherwise.
Chainsaw Man The Movie: The Reze Arc hits theaters on October 24th.
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