The Forest of Love: Deep Cut

A charismatic yet calculating con artist who orchestrates schemes and toys with people's lives. He uses charm, wealth, and manipulation to draw victims into elaborate, staged scenarios that fuel his perverse amusement. His presence drives the crew's descent into violence and moral rot.

A wealthy con artist who preys on Mitsuko and others, watching as his fabricated 'crimes' unfold for his own pleasure. He sets the terms of the plot and uses others as pawns, reveling in cruelty.

An aspiring filmmaker with a fascination for criminal psychology, eager to make a movie about lawbreaking. He blurs ethics and ambition as he becomes part of the project and its dangerous real-world consequences.

A quiet, ominous figure who manipulates events and ultimately reveals himself as the serial killer. He embodies cold calculation and violence, driving the fatal turn of the story.

A traumatized young woman drawn deeper into Murata's web; she becomes pregnant and witnesses the escalating cruelty, wrestling with guilt, fear, and survival.

Ami is drawn into the plot and participates in Murata's cruel games; she becomes entangled in the film's deception and meets a grim fate.

A classmate who embraces a reckless path, marked by scars and a vow after a brutal high school tragedy; she becomes a victim later in the narrative.

A friend from Mitsuko's past, whose car accident death triggers the flashbacks that shape Mitsuko and Taeko's memories.

Mitsuko's mother, subjected to Murata's coercive tactics and placed at the mercy of the film's cruelty.

A member of the initial film crew who struggles with moral boundaries and ultimately leaves the group, only to be drawn back into the danger.

A friend in Mitsuko's circle who is drawn into the events and the film's web; her role underscores the ripple effects of Murata's crimes.

A fellow figure connected to the circle around Mitsuko; part of the film's claustrophobic social network.

A character connected to the Ozawa family circle; adds to the web of relationships that Murata manipulates.

A supporting character involved in the circle around the main players; helps highlight the social environment in which Murata preys.