Kurosawa delivers a biting critique of way capitalism and consumerism has transformed our subjectivity and the way we interact with others.
Category: Crime
Baka’s identity (2025) review [Japannual 2025]
Koto Nagata offers the spectator a saddening but entertaining portrait of what the Japanese Other does not want anyone to see: the unsavoury marriage between crime and capitalism
A Bad Summer (2025) review [Japannual 2025]
Hideo Jojo offers a compelling exploration of poverty within the Japanese societal field as well as the the structural possibility of exploiting the welfare system for one’s own gain.
Ghost Killer (2025) review [Japannual 2025]
Sonomura’s narrative does little to re-invent the genre, but delivers everything one’s desires in such narratives in spades – a crowd-pleaser, indeed.
Abashiri Prison – Saga of Homesickness (1965)
An engaging narrative that illustrates how the image of the father can be a prison for the subject.
I Am Kirishima (2025) review [OAFF 2025]
A timely narrative that highlights the inert quality of a societal field structured by capitalism and right-wing nationalism.
Hell Dogs (2022) review
For the hardened fan of the genre, Harada’s newly bottled old wine will be a frustrating experience that delivers nothing more than a sprinkle of excitement.
Another Abashiri Prison Story (1965)
An enjoyable thriller – a straight-forward yakuza flick with many pleasant moments, but not the sequel the first narrative deserved.
City Hunter (2024) review
A fun but very forgettable experience.
Short Movie Time: Hail Mary (2023) review [Japan Cuts 2024]
Nakamura succeeds in making the spectator care for Maria and impact him/her emotionally with her tragedy.
Violence Action (2022) review
A mildly entertaining action-comedy that ultimately fails to fully satisfy the spectator.
Guard from Underground (1992)
Kurosawa’s early slasher is a successful stylistic experiment that anyone who calls himself a fan of Japanese horror should see.
#Manhole (2023) review
A highly engaging and twist-rich narrative that beautifully illustrates the continued importance of the image for the subject as well as the disastrous effects of the frustration of the desire to be recognized.
Village (2023) review
An incredibly powerful drama narrative that illustrates how toxic and destructive a societal environment can be for the subject – the persecutory dimension of the Other – and how reparative ‘inter-subjective’ signifiers can be.
Halloween Special Review: The Ghosts of Yotsuya (1956) review
An incredible horror film that retains its power to engage and thrill the spectator due to Tomisabura Wakayama’s outstanding performance.
psychocinema 