Category: Violence

Revolver Lily (2023) review

A very enjoyable action-thriller that succeeds in satisfying the spectator thirsting for exciting action-pieces.

Sympathy For The Underdog (1971) review

This is not merely classic that speaks to those who felt lost due to the rapid shifts that upheaved the Japanese societal field after the second world war, but continues to speak to those who feel out-of-place, who feel like Gunji unsuited for this world of ‘criminal’ suits.

Revolution +1 (2022) Review

Masao Adachi delivers an important political statement that, by offering an evocative sketch of Tetsuya Yamagami’s tragic trajectory, invites the Japanese spectator to question his own passivity towards the political Other.

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.  

Mukoku (2017) review

Kumakiri offers a fresh breath in the Japanese sports genre by focusing on trauma, the ill-fitting of the subject within the societal Other, and the importance of forming bonds with the other.

Hana Dama Phantom (2016) review

While all clashing fragments of eroticism, horror, and comedy come sort of together in the twisted finale, it is not enough to wash away the sourness left by the ill-fitting theatrical performances.

Abashiri Prison (1965) review

Teruo Ishii delivers an interesting exploration of the frailty of the social bond between criminals as well as the trauma that, in some cases, animates the criminal reflex.

Sin And Evil (2024) review [Japannual 2024]

Saito shows that the Other always bears some responsibility for the subjective outcomes of dysfunctional familial dynamics and the criminal excesses that plague its mendacious image of peaceful harmony.

Shinobi no mono: Resurrection (1963)

A satisfying conclusion resolves the thematical exploration of destructive capitalistic pleasure in a satisfactorily yet maybe somewhat naive way.