DEATH NOTE (2006)

It's a rare film that truly changes your concept of how potent movies can be; Death Note, for me, was such a film.  Based on the Japanese manga, it's the story of brilliant college student Light Yagami (Tatsuya Fujiwara), who finds the Death Note - a notebook with the power to kill any human whose name is written in it.  Deciding to use it to secretly rid society of the world's most heinous criminals, Light quickly develops a god complex, power corrupting him as bad guys start to fall - and the general public hail their unknown vigilante, "Kira," a hero.  But another college-age genius, the world's greatest detective known only as "L" (Ken'ichi Matsuyama), is hot on Light's trail ... in a film so original, so suspenseful, with fine performances and incredibly believable CGI, that by the time the tension-filled finale arrives you'll have gnawed your fingernails to the elbow.  Rarely will a film capture your mind and imagination more, from start to finish ... before leaving you gasping for the sequel. (not rated)  *****

DEATH NOTE trailer