Ichi the Killer (2001)
Jan 7, 2006Sadism and Ultra-Violence
One of the key films upon which the Takashi Miike cult is based. Miike takes a nominal Yakuza plot based on a manga where he pushes the sadism and ultra-violence to a mind-boggling extreme
Nao Omori
Rampo Noir (2005)
Sep 23, 2007Japanese Horror Anthology
Anthology of tales adapted from Japanese horror writer Edogawa Rampo. The various directors push the stories into an admirably perverse and disturbed space
Bugmaster (2006)
Dec 10, 2012Wandering Exorcist/Manga Adaptation
Akira director/creator Katsuhiro Otomo returns with this live-action manga adaptation about a wandering exorcist. Very different to any of Otomo's anime, this is much quieter and rooted in Japanese folklore but has some undeniably way out scenes
Tokyo! (2008)
May 14, 2024Anthology of Surreal Japan-set Tales
Directors Michel Gondry, Leos Carax and Bong Joon Ho make an anthology of strange and surreal tales that take place in Tokyo
Parasyte Part 2 (2015)
Jan 20, 2020Body-Snatching Shapeshifting Parasites
Parasyte Part 1 was a manga adaptation filled with wild effects sequences - imagine The Thing relocated to a Japanese high school. This sequel is an even better film that expands the characters and ideas in quite fascinating directions