Ichi the Killer (2001)

When a Yakuza boss named Anjo disappears with 300 million yen, his chief henchman, a sadomasochistic man named Kakihari, and the rest of his mob goons go looking for him. After capturing and torturing a rival Yakuza member looking for answers, they soon realize they have the wrong man and begin looking for the man named Jijii who tipped them off in the first place... (imdb)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Takashi Miike
Written By: Sakichi Satô, Hideo Yamamoto
Starring: Tadanobu Asano, Shin'ya Tsukamoto, Jun Kunimura, Susumu Terajima, Nao Ohmori, Shun Sugata, Suzuki Matsuo, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Paulyn Sun, Toru Tezuka, Yoshiki Arizono, Satoshi Niizuma
Franchise: Ichi the Killer
Country: Japan
Where to Stream
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Ichi the Killer belongs to 37 collections
1. boobs (public: moderated by Pickpocket - 50 stars)
2. Netflix Instant (public: moderated by somnivore - 29 stars)
3. Onion AV Club: The New Cult Canon (public: moderated by theficionado - 28 stars)
4. Based On Comic (public: moderated by mpowell - 16 stars)
5. Films available in HD (public: moderated by kubricksucks - 12 stars)
6. Sex and Sadism (public: moderated by iconogassed - 9 stars)
7. Sex (public: moderated by Dorkovsky - 8 stars)
8. Based On Manga (public: moderated by whatismyname - 7 stars)
9. Rape (public: moderated by Moribunny - 7 stars)
10. Yakuza (public: moderated by Moribunny - 7 stars)
11. Asian Horror (public: moderated by iconogassed - 6 stars)
12. THE WORLDWIDE CELLULOID MASSACRE: Recommended (public: moderated by edkrak - 6 stars)
13. Psychotic women (public: moderated by mattburgess - 5 stars)
14. Torture Porn (public: moderated by Leatherface - 4 stars)
15. Graphic, Bloody Gore (public - 4 stars)
16. Capsules, guest reviews, list candidates... (366weirdmovies) (public: moderated by sesito71 - 3 stars)
17. Live Action - based on anime/manga (public: moderated by whatismyname - 2 stars)
18. Character name in title (public: moderated by Pickpocket - 2 stars)
19. my DVDs (public: moderated by Jeb - 1 star)
20. ComplexMedia: The 50 Most Disturbing Movies (public: moderated by von krogh - 1 star)
21. My Films (public: moderated by Faggels)
22. Cinema Sewer (public: moderated by mattburgess)
23. simon (public: moderated by f_ranzen)
24. Rue Morgue Magazine's 200 Alternative Horror Films You Need to See (private: jimmyjazz - 10 stars)
25. Mindfuck, surreal, strange and weird films (List by André "BadSmile" Byman) (private: stalebread - 8 stars)
26. Sarsanlar (private: Ozancan - 3 stars)
27. Netflix Watch Instantly (private: dgeiser13 - 2 stars)
28. The Mammoth Book of Slasher Movies (book) (private: Ag0stoMesmer - 1 star)
29. Deeveedee (private: The Goat)
30. Foreign - Japanese (private: NhanLa)
31. us-tv McD 101 Horrors (private: timxyz)
32. To Watch (private: normalchaos)
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Stars | User | Rating | |
4 | ![]() |
TheDenizen | 90 95% |
Surreal and violent, my favorite Takashi Miike film.
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4 | theficionado | 37 34% |
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There's something sticky about ironically elevating an impotent, subservient man-child to the level of hero, and there's something hilarious about depriving a bloodthirsty audience the climactic showdown that's been promised for the duration of its running time. But the uber-violence loses its comic edge around the half-hour point, and this thing is just interminable.
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3 | ![]() |
Mentaculus | 67 46% |
I wasn't bothered by the torture and gore so much as the meandering middle section. I give it a lot of points for the audacity of its content and statement on voyeurism and violence, but it was very hard to sit through the middle when people practically walk in dazed circles for half an hour. A flawed masterpiece.
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3 | ![]() |
hehejaja | 50 24% |
A comical spectacle, almost nightmarish in structure and tone. It kinda feels like an outraged Kitano-film at times (absurd, low-voiced and unpredictable in its own peculiar, deranged way). But it's a burlesque film soon forgotten, despite being mildly amusing and curiously interesting then and there.
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3 | whomperize | 89 95% |
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The two major strengths of this movie are the characters and the atmosphere.
This is my favorite Miike film, for sure. He sends you on a trip through his world in this movie not dissimilar to the way Kubrick did; there are outbursts of emotion, shattered and intense directing, and vibrant colors.
As with all Miike films, what is real and what is not real is deceptive; it is ultimately up to you to use your imagination about the true motives of the characters.
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3 | ![]() |
DeaThRoW | 100 98% |
Hard to believe, harder to forget. Just watch and ejaculate. ^^
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3 | Malignant | 90 86% |
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If you can laugh at the dark humor it the context of torture and sadomasochism, you can enjoy this movie. If you can't it just means you're a good person.
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3 | ![]() |
Indicam | 70 63% |
Incredible for grasping the twisted desires from the shadows of one's subconscious and revealing their nature and attractiveness. Although brutal and disturbing at... most points, I have yet to speak to anybody who has seen this movie and not hear an evil giggle.
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3 | ![]() |
MartinTeller | 62 20% |
A gross-out extravaganza in typical Miike fashion. It's played with a nod and a wink, and it has to be because the gore is too over-the-top to take seriously or be genuinely disturbed by (couldn't help cringing at some parts, though). I kind of enjoyed the carefree glee of it all, but then the movie became a confusing mess at the end.
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3 | ![]() |
Jeb | 95 87% |
Ichi the Killer is the ultraviolent, deadly foreign sadomasochistic ball of energy all conveyed into a feature-length gorefest, the answer and response to America's Saw. Takashi Miike truly unleashes his demonicly-influenced, dangerously evil thoughts and blends it in with a dark sense of subtle black humor along with of course, a brainy plot and equally innovative, unique performances. But, behind all the swords and martial arts kung-fu fighting, is a lot more. A movie many will leave confused
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2 | ![]() |
Shmendrek | 1 10% |
Can somebody please explain to me what about this film is so good? I thought it was a convoluted mess with a bunch of unlikeable characters that dragged on for far too long. What the hell was up with that ending? Boring, misogynist, useless trash. If I want the subtle, nuanced humor of people getting hurt, I can watch a rerun of America's Funniest Home Videos just as easily. At least there are prizes at the end of that.
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2 | ![]() |
gorejunky | 100 92% |
I'm a huge Takashi Miike fan and this could be considered one of his best works. Gory, suspenseful, surreal and great kill scenes. If you love horror and crime thrillers--this is the movie for you. Very highly recommended!
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2 | ![]() |
St. Berna | 80 70% |
binlerce film izledim; böyle saykosunu az gördüm. Ichi'yi, şimdiye kadar izlediğim filmler arasındaki en extreme psikopat katil ilan ediyorum. çok garip, sinir bozucu, ucube bir film ama ne hikmetse kötü film diyemiyorsunuz. yerin dibine mi batırayım, göklere mi çıkarayım bilemediğim, puan vermekte en fazla zorlandığım filmlerden biri oldu benim için. son derece bayağı, yoz, ama fazlasıyla özgün bir iş; orası kesin.
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2 | ![]() |
still | 20 11% |
Asano's Kakihara was pretty much the only thing the movie was worth watching for...
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2 | ![]() |
Jarmann | 38 9% |
Bah. A terrible script that is used as a bad excuse for showing off torture. What irritates me most of all Miikes films is that they have the potential of being good, but he always makes a mess out of it.
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2 | ![]() |
pernographer | 90 84% |
There's a lot of talent behind this trash. The story feels like a teenager's misogynistic yakuza splatter fantasy, but Miike elevates the material to ridiculous levels of satire. It's like he restrained the fever dreams of some fourteen year old virgin into something unique, funny, and strangely elegant. Very interesting, surreal movie.
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2 | ![]() |
astrakhan | 59 5% |
The film suffers because Miike is the opposite of a genre director. In the hands of an established horror, or action, or gangster, or comedy director, maybe this could have worked. Miike wants to mix every genre according to some formula he thinks is good. I thought the action scenes were pretty ok, and the gory effects were memorable, but there's way too much talk and too many characters in the other scenes. The end product retains some of its Manga heritage but is way boring to sit through.
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2 | ![]() |
Cinema_Asia | 70 56% |
There is no semblance of the real world in Ichi the Killer. Everything is done so over the top and in grotesque fashion that it's fascinating in of itself. It's based on manga so the style and tone is particular to that genre. It's possible to hate it because of its gross and exploitative nature but it's just such a strange spectacle at times and with wonderfully ironic/comical lines from Kakihara (Asano) that it's more of a dark comedy than anything. Not a film that many people will enjoy.
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purgatos | 48 15% |
Miike spends way too much time trying to make this movie be over the top violent and not nearly enough time trying to make it interesting.
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2 | ![]() |
Luna6ix | 74 47% |
I failed to get the point, and on top of that didn't get the story, but appreciated the gratuitous violence. Over all, an ok movie to watch as long as you don't really think about it.
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2 | ![]() |
Vandelay1 | 92 98% |
Great
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2 | ![]() |
Okkervil | 78 79% |
Blood and guts, and then some guts and blood, then some blood on guts and vise versa...
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2 | ![]() |
elmakebabi | 76 79% |
Whether you like it or not, Koroshiya 1 is a unique movie. And there are a lot to say.
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2 | ![]() |
JordanDcFc | 60 22% |
Too uneven and disjointed.
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2 | ![]() |
eric-jan | 80 87% |
Unforgettable movie. It's even on youtube. It's a little disturbing, but heh, thats Japan for ya!
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2 | ![]() |
Zealot185 | 6 0% |
Miike crafts a setting where a video game-addicted shut-in exacts revenge on men who may or may not have bullied him as a kid; his omnipotent killing skills are only outmatched by his impotent sexual problems, which may be caused by the fact that this fantasy world is inhabited by women who only exist to be raped. Miike clearly has issues, the least of which is telling a coherent and meaningful story.
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2 | ![]() |
Boobjuice | 30 32% |
Hoo, a real stinker. About 50 minutes into it I was checking the DVD case for the running time.
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2 | ![]() |
Anomaly | 62 32% |
A bizarre yet enjoyable violent Yakuza film for the first hour or so, but then it starts slowing down and becoming stupid. Not too much happens for quite a stretch, and by the time it picks back up the violence and misogyny and rape just become grating. How it plays with the audience is fun, and Miike has a few interesting things to say, but it's just too uneven. Bonus points for Jirii's sudden bodybuilder physique.
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2 | ![]() |
Kavu | 84 83% |
Stylish, pointless and incredibly disturbing. Basic Miike stuff.
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2 | ![]() |
Ytadel | 4 43% |
The movie IS the ultraviolence, the crazy torture, the surreal gore, the gruesome, insane deaths. If you can sit back and howl in laughter at all that like I can, then this movie is for you.
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2 | ![]() |
SmooveJ | 92 90% |
Perhaps the most accessible Miike film. Which is to say not very accessible, but if you can handle torture and S&M in your movies, then you'll probably enjoy this.
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2 | ![]() |
TheDiceman | 65 73% |
Very strange gore fest.
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2 | ![]() |
Paxton | 80 87% |
Not for the squeamish.
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2 | svicciarelli | 30 0% |
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Explotive and mean - I couldn't finish the awful thing.
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2 | ![]() |
Suture Self | 7 67% |
If you're a childish sadist you will enjoy this because it seems mostly to be a spoof on sadism and sadomasochism and maybe even Batman? Yes, Batman. It's also convoluted, inconsistent, sometimes boring, sometimes too serious, a lot of times stupid. But a large portion of the movie features hysterical violence, strange sound effects, gore, blood, dismemberment, bad CGI, Japan, funny music, hypnosis, torture, rape and a man-child pathological killer. Trashiness aside, this is worth a look.
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1 | ![]() |
mike365365 | 48 11% |
Gore can be done correctly (Old Boy), or like this.
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1 | msdstc | 50 48% |
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So overrated
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1 | McCorpse | 96 89% |
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definatly a dope movie. crazy characters that are both very dark and comical at the same time. Its not a straight out comedy and id say its more disturbing than funny but the two are blended very well in an origonally graphic way. The violence/action, settings, and characters all seem fresh.
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1 | ![]() |
TheWhaler | 75 51% |
One of my all time favorite cult films, a true gem.
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1 | ![]() |
Judge Holden | 3 32% |
It's like a campy, ultraviolent comic book movie. Miike successfully maintains the madcap tone for most of the film, and the violence is certainly amusing, but on the whole it's just tiresome. It often feels that Miike piles on the blood and secondary characters to cover up how bland this really is. It's simply not innovative enough to get by on camp alone (see: Hausu). The attempts to interject pathos into the story come across as silly or tonally inconsistent, depending on your reading.
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1 | ![]() |
kitchen867 | 75 84% |
Misogyny, hyper violence and a rad soundtrack: sign me up!
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1 | ![]() |
TheJoeMoore | 80 71% |
I winced and looked away more than once. Wow.
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1 | Coheed | 100 97% |
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Rewatching this as an adult, it shines even more as one of the few ultra-violent films with a meaning and intelligence to it. It's still a comic book film, adapted from a manga, but its quality is significant, both in terms of the acting and for Miike's and screenwriter Sakichi Satô's emphasis of psychology and transgressive sexuality. One of Miike's most accomplished films if not the best, a cult film which makes many other violent films look pathetic and dumb in comparison.
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1 | ![]() |
manwhonose | 91 52% |
This is so much more than a mindless bloodbath. It has an unnerving intelligence, purposely playing with audience expectations and constantly pushing the envelope in terms of pace, character and theme. Full of ultra-violence and striking, very disturbing imagery.
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1 | shaunks | 74 51% |
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Gore and fantastic.
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PubliusD | 76 37% |
Funny.
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1 | ![]() |
svnhf | 81 74% |
This is a film about excentric people in an excentric environment. The story has taken a bit of a backseat, but as it is to showcase development of the personas within it and explore their quirks and desires it really hits home as a character journey. That it is contained within such a gory medium only adds to the flavor of it, whether good or bad. It has some very visual scenes but I was never as shocked by them, more amazed by how well they worked with the characters in them. A hidden pearl.
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1 | ![]() |
KramYessev | 82 92% |
A perfect blend of cruelty and hilarity.
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1 | Dilmuhill | 83 80% |
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Great Asian gangster film...packed with loads of gore!
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1 | ![]() |
NothingsGood | 65 64% |
Miike Takashi's most popular film, Ichi the Killer tells the ridiculous tale of an extremely shy man whose talent for killing leads him down a bizarre path of murder, torture and salvation. Full of Miike's traditional wit and over-the-top gore, Ichi the Killer is a sure fire hit for any fan of J-Horror or gorefest action.
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1 | ![]() |
fuckchops | 88 96% |
Sublime...and this is despite its unrelenting and creative ultra violence: I actually think there is some great substance to this film.
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jamesdepaolo | 80 67% |
what a wacked out movie..it has so many scenes of utter weirdness and bloodletting...this is brutal and oh man does the blood and violence get beyond brutal
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1 | ![]() |
Kingjohnbbq | 96 89% |
so crazy, so worth it
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methad1 | 78 74% |
One of the more darker and wierder Asian films that I've seen. Violent and twisted - just the way we like 'em.
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Dogubomb | 40 35% |
I did like the twist he-man out of nowhere
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1 | 14x | 84 63% |
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I love it!
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redacted | 62 32% |
a super stylized film, which to be honest has a lacking script, some shots linger in a perverted japanese kind of way. The plot is as fun as you're willing to let sadism and sex merging take you. 92/100 for the trailer.
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1 | ![]() |
richiodo | 89 81% |
Violencia, tortura, masoquismo, perversiones, todos los temas com los que le gusta tratar a takashi miike un gran director siempre buscando paralizar a los espectadores de una forma u otra, y siempre lograndolo es una pelicula muy dinamica al principio no sabes nada de como se desenvuelven los personajes y poco a poco encuentras relaiones con todo lo que aparece en el filme
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1 | ![]() |
glumpy_99 | 80 59% |
Gruesome, ugly action drama is mitigated by an unwillingness to present either of its central characters as anything other than empty ciphers -- their mutually repulsive 'acting out' ultimately has little value except to shock, (which may be Miike's goal), but it makes the film less satisfying. The film does function as a perverse barometer of the viewer's tolerance for graphic violence (sexual and otherwise) and Miike has crafted his tale expertly; Asano is a superbly unsettling antagonist.
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1 | EyeCandy | 100 80% |
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if this movie does not make your eyes pop out, then you are too pussy to deal with a girl that wants you to beat her!
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1 | Ranald | 50 17% |
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Disturbing Japanese ultra-violence from V-cinema maestro Takashi Miike. Ichi is a brilliantly bizarre character, but whenever he's not on screen the film starts to drag a bit with its unrelenting sadism.
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empiremag | 4 71% |
"...this is an extremist on form."
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TedDedon | 69 39% |
Ichi is a grotesque movie that is enjoyable all the way through despite its numerous flaws. Had it had a better screenplay and probably better direction this could have been a great movie.
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Moribunny | 63 60% |
One of the most violent movies I've ever seen. Makes Kill Bill look like an episode of the teletubbies.
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dere | 82 67% |
The only straightforward thing in this flick is the violence
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1 | scape | 80 83% |
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Amazingly enough, this film delivers a stellar "ultra violent" plot with coherency.
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1 | ![]() |
Ronin167 | 89 94% |
You're either going to love this film or hate it with a passion.
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1 | ikeboywonder | 40 53% |
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another crazy ass foreign film, if you don't mind violence and like foreign films and have exhausted all other foreign films, take the time
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tearsofash | 99 99% |
I like the feeling I get when I see people being tortured. Some parts are erratic, but it's forgiveable. I love the director so much. He made someone get hit several times instead or three times just because he didn't like the actress.
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IMPERIALIST | 85 39% |
Funny
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ozymandius10 | 73 62% |
I really didn't find it to be as violent as people said (desensitizing?). Other than the violence, there's some great dark comedy to be found here. The story is pretty weak, but the characters are entertaining, and I haven't had this much fun watching a movie in a while.
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1 | Super988man | 90 67% |
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Whenever I think of Takashi Miike, an abnormally short japanese dude with oversized sunglasses on laughing maniaclaly and rubbing his hands while filming the titty-cutting scene comes to mind.
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1 | ![]() |
easydiff | 65 67% |
Outlandish and crafted with a fierceness, this absolutely shows its comic book roots. Absolutely unnecessary gore is completely necessary to inure the audience, and the beyond-gross out on-screen activities are audacious enough to not make us cringe.
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teknicolor | 88 88% |
This movie is so violent it's sexy.
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PeaceAnarchy | 72 32% |
It's got some good points but be aware this film is incredibly violent. It makes American Psycho look like a Disney movie. If you can stomach that, it's an interesting tale of sadomasochism and strange perversions. It was interesting but I can't see myself watching it again.
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1 | Wuijibobo | 5 0% |
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Typical Miike film. Uber shite with an even worse ending.
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amerigo | 89 94% |
To deglamorize violence, one must embrace it as a sado-masochist. This is exactly what this movie does and it's up to the viewer to reanalyze the warped sense of morality the media has instilled within us. This hands off approach is a wonderful change of pace from the preachy bullshit of Hollywood.
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1 | marc01 | 90 81% |
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This is so good in so many levels...
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1 | Bene | 77 65% |
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Very much a matter of taste...
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1 | Cheesebadger | 90 86% |
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An insane, over the top gorefest that never lets up.
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1 | fart | 97 96% |
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Great exploration of our fascination with violence, I love it. i liked the characters a lot.
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1 | lonelypanda | 40 18% |
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But is it good?
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1 | Manhatta | 69 40% |
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Absolute insanity. Not as good as Audition but it doesn't try to be in the slightest. It has some awesome shots and a lot of blood and gore. It doesn't make any sense, but it's apparently based on an anime, which explains a lot.
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Attached Eon | 60 45% |
Miike certainly has as style all his own.
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1 | atilaudc | 95 81% |
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This is a must see for every film fan. It laughs at violence and there is plenty of it.
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DrStrange1 | 35 23% |
uummm...i like bunnies, so...??
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INDYATMN | 84 70% |
The most outrageously over the top, violent and gory movie I've ever seen. You either appreciate this kind of stuff or you don't. I wanted to be shocked and Ichi delivered. There's actually a story here too, and subtext no less!
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1 | ![]() |
cweiselberg | 85 55% |
Miike brings this movie to the brinks of uber-cheesy, violent shock and B aesthetics. Very Tarantino influenced, with its over-the-top effects. It has the ability to make the viewer cringe which is something only a few modern Directors can do and do well. Awesome movie, but not for the faint of heart.
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1 | ![]() |
Monster | 95 91% |
Takashi Miike em plena forma! Destaque para a interpretação sublime de Tadanobu Asano no papel do Yakuza/Sadomaso "Kakihara". Esse longa foi adaptado de um mangá japonês, mas nenhuma revista conseguiria transmitir a aflição que Miike e Tadanobu transmitem nesse filme. Assista agora! De preferência longe de sua família.
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1 | skandigraun | 87 76% |
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Japanese can be so sick :)
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1 | msworddoc | 35 10% |
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trash
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1 | Zang | 80 66% |
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Evil, evil movie
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Jasongirl67 | 45 24% |
Pretty insane torture flick
I’m not even going to pretend like I understand it I gave up about 20 minutes in trying to figure out the story
Fast moving and very chopped together scenes that makes zero sense to me
But if you’re looking for a straight up gore fest
Than this movie is probably for you
if for nothing else watch it for the imagery
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Average Percentile 55.34% from 2191 Ratings | ![]() |