A tight narrative and a gripping storyline made Demon Slayer: Mugen Train a benchmark for anime films adapted from an ongoing series in 2020. But five years later, the latest Demon Slayer movie, Infinity Castle, seems to have lost the charm in its attempt to chase box office numbers.

Despite being an animated spectacle (This makes it a must-watch on the big screen), Infinity Castle struggles to hold the narrative together and feels like a series cramped into a two-hour-35-minute film.

Here’s what worked for us and what did not during a special screening of the anime film ahead of its September 12 India release.

A compelling premise

Infinity Castle, the first part of the movie trilogy covering the final arc of the story, picks up after the events of the fourth season of the anime series. After an intense physical training with the Hashira, the Demon Slayer Corps' highest-ranking swordsmen, Tanjiro Kamado and his allies are pulled into the labyrinthine Infinity Castle, where they must face Muzan Kibutsuji, the demon king responsible for terrorising humanity for centuries.

What follows is a series of high-octane battles between the slayers and Muzan’s most powerful demons as the castle shifts and folds like a living maze. The Insect Hashira Shinobu confronts Doma, the demon who murdered her sister. And in a turn of events, Zenitsu no longer sleeps to keep his anxiety at bay while fighting.

The highlight of the film is Tanjiro and Giyu teaming up against Upper Rank Three Akaza in a fight that will ultimately make you feel heartbroken for the demon despite his heinous acts in the past. As the slayers continue to battle Muzan’s soldiers in the castle, each of them are pushed closer to their final confrontation with the notorious demon king.

Akaza in 'Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle' Crunchyroll

A feast for the eyes

On a visual level, Infinity Castle is breathtaking. Ufotable studio’s animation has once again delivered a spectacle for fans, staying true to its reputation for dazzling effects. The ever-shifting architecture of Muzan’s lair, the glow of the varied sword techniques and the dynamic sound effects, all are designed as a treat for the senses. There’s beauty in every frame — be it the slayers freely-falling in the vast, lamplit alternate dimension, the impact of Tanjiro’s Water Breathing style or Shinobu wielding her lethal wisteria-based sword like a stinger. The anime-viewing experience on the big screen could not get any better than this.

A glimpse of the Infinity Castle from the movie Crunchyroll

Battles with weight and emotional resonance

The battles in Infinity Castle are not only action-packed but also laced with raw emotion — whether it’s Tanjiro’s unwavering determination or the tragic pasts of the demons resurfacing mid-battle. Tanjiro and Giyu’s showdown with Akaza is both fierce and heartbreaking as the demon’s human past unravels. Shinobu’s duel with Doma carries a similar weight, culminating in a heart-wrenching moment.

A surprise moment that calls for riotous cheering in the theatres is Zenitsu versus his former mentor-turned-demon Kaigaku, a clash for redemption that forces the once-timid slayer to his limits. In classic Demon Slayer fashion, the film slows down at times to reveal the human stories buried beneath the monstrous hearts, proving that the evil, too, once used to be kind.

Zenitsu goes head-to-head against his former mentor-turned-demon Kaigaku Crunchyroll

Non-stop flashbacks break the momentum

Flashbacks seem endless in every battle scene, taking away from the energy that the fight deserves. While these constant lookbacks and backstories add depth to the characters, they ultimately result in stretched-out, unbalanced sequences. The tension of a duel scene replete with risks loses steam when the narrative pauses for a look into the character’s childhood. As the movie proceeds from one battle scene to another, the barrage of flashbacks begin to fragment the flow of the story and its urgency, marring the viewing experience.

Feels more like a series marathon than a film

When it was announced that the Infinity Castle arc will be released in the form of a movie trilogy instead of a series, there were many debates online. While some manga readers lauded the move as there are mostly battle scenes in this arc, other fans were left wondering whether it would work.

A still of Tanjiro from the movie Crunchyroll

Infinity Castle was billed as a full-length feature film like Mugen Train — unlike the previous two releases To the Swordsmith Village and To the Hashira Training. The makers had also clarified that this won’t be yet another “compilation film” — the kind that stitches together several TV episodes for the big screen.

However, unlike Mugen Train, Infinity Castle unfolds more like different narratives played back-to-back, making you feel like you binged a bunch of episodes in one go. It has multiple climaxes, various setups and long stretches of different stories with no single plotline. This experience can be exhausting for some.