Death Note (film)

Death Note (デスノート, Desu Nōto) is a 2006 live-action Japanese detective supernatural psychological thriller film based on the Death Note manga (and later anime) series by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. It was followed by Death Note 2: The Last Name, released in the same year. The films primarily center on a university student who decides to rid the world of evil with the help of a supernatural notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it. The two films were directed by Shūsuke Kaneko, produced by Nippon Television, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures Japan. The film was licensed by VIZ Pictures, Warner Bros..

A spin-off film directed by Hideo Nakata, titled L: Change the World, was released on February 9, 2008.

Plot

Light Yagami is a Japanese college student whose life undergoes a drastic change when he discovers a mysterious notebook, known as the "Death Note", lying on the ground. The Death Note's instructions claim that if a person's name is written within while picturing that person's face, that person will die. Light is initially skeptical of the Death Note's authenticity, but after experimenting with it, he realizes it is real. After meeting with the previous owner of the Death Note, a Shinigami named Ryuk, Light seeks to become "god of the new world" by passing his judgment on those he deems to be evil or who get in his way. He begins using the Death Note to kill scores of criminals, becoming a notorious serial killer known as "Kira."