Ichi the Killer
Directed by Takashi Miike
- action
- crime
- horror
The story
As sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of.
What it’s like
Garish, saturated neon over rain-slick Shinjuku alleys, with wild handheld swings, abrupt zooms and bursts of cartoonish colour that keep the image jittering with agitation. Sound is loud and jagged: pounding techno, sudden silences, the wet crack of bodies. The vibe is sleazy, feverish and grotesque, a black comedy of cruelty played at full volume. Pacing is restless and uneven, lurching between lurid set pieces and quieter, uncomfortable stretches of obsession and dread. Its people are deeply damaged, and the arc follows two obsessive men drawn toward each other through pain and masochistic fixation. Intensity is extreme: frequent graphic violence and gore, torture, piercing, drug use, sexual content and sexual violence against women, all landing with a brutal, unflinching presence rather than restraint. This is not gentle viewing. It is for viewers who can stomach extreme transgressive cinema and want a stylized, provocative, nihilistic ride.
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