The release of the Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc movie in October 2025 marked a new high point for the anime industry. However, many viewers may not have noticed that mangaka Tatsuki Fujimoto revealed his passionate love for Hollywood throughout the film.
Featuring countless iconic shots, here are all the cinematic details Fujimoto incorporated into the Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc movie.
1. No Country for Old Men (2007)
This is the most direct and obvious reference. Midway through the movie, Reze’s fierce personality emerges when the Mysterious Man arrives to take Denji’s heart. When the Mysterious Man chases Reze out to the yard, she shocks everyone by strangling him to death. This iconic strangling scene is lifted frame by frame from the 2007 film No Country for Old Men, confirming it as a clear homage.
2. Battle Royale (2000)
One of the movie’s most iconic moments is Reze’s showdown with Nomo at the Demon Extermination Corps 2 training facility. Reze cuts off her own head and throws it into the base, turning it into a bomb that causes massive damage. This self-decapitation-as-bomb scene bears an uncanny resemblance to a similar moment in the 2000 Japanese film Battle Royale, showing Fujimoto’s strong inspiration from this classic.
3. Léon: The Professional (1994)
In the opening teaser of the Reze Arc movie, the scene where Denji holds a bomb pin and then explodes is a subtle yet exact reference to the 1994 film Léon: The Professional. This moment mirrors Léon’s death, when he hands the bomb pin to corrupt DEA agent Norman Stansfield before detonating. Like Denji, Léon’s body explodes.
4. Despicable Me 2 (2013)
The scene where Denji rides Beam into battle against Bomb Devil Reze and Typhoon Devil is both iconic and entertaining. On closer look, Hollywood featured a similar moment in the 2013 film Despicable Me 2. Whether Denji riding Beam was meant to echo the supervillain El Macho riding a shark into an active volcano is open to interpretation.
5. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Fujimoto’s references aren’t limited to unique films. The cemetery scene at the start of the Reze Arc movie, where Kishibe looks over many graves, is a direct nod to Steven Spielberg’s World War II-inspired film Saving Private Ryan.
6. Bande à part (1964) and 8½ (1963)
One of the most iconic parts of the Chainsaw Man Reze Arc movie is the dance sequence featuring Denji, Aki Hayakawa, and Power. A closer look reveals these dance scenes closely resemble, if not nearly replicate, those from the 1964 French film Bande à part and the 1963 Italian film 8½.
7. 28 Days Later (2002)
This might be a coincidence, but the shot of a raindrop falling on Reze’s eye closely mirrors a scene from the 2002 sci-fi horror film 28 Days Later. The shot nearly copies the opening death scene of Frank in the Hollywood movie.
8. Constantine (2005)
This reference may be debated, but knowing Fujimoto’s love for Hollywood films, many believe the scene of Angel’s legs dangling as he lands on the playground in the movie’s intro is inspired by the 2005 action-horror film Constantine, specifically the moment Lucifer Morningstar enters the hospital.
9. Sallie Gardner at a Gallop/The Horse in Motion (1878)
This is a direct reference to the photographic technique that led to the birth of cinema. The black-and-white scene of Denji riding a horse almost demands comparison to the world’s first motion picture film: The Horse in Motion (also known as Sallie Gardner at a Gallop).
10. Blue Spring (2001)
Though subtle, the shot of a plane flying over Reze is a direct nod to the 2001 Japanese teen drama Blue Spring. While it may seem like a generic shot, the exact positioning and composition make Fujimoto’s intent clear.