Movie Review: Ichi the Killer (2001)

For a long time, I’ve considered Audition to be the most disturbing film I’ve ever seen. I’ve definitely found a new contender, if not outright champion, and it’s from the same director: Takashi Miike.

Takashi Miike is one of my favorite directors, though I’m sure I’ll never see even half his movies. For one, a lot of the lesser ones are going to be hard to find in English-language markets, and also, he’s made a ton. IMDB has him listed with 104 directorial credits, and that’s in a career that started in 1991. In 2001, the year of this film’s release, he directed seven, though one was a short film.

It’s insane. Every bit as insane as this movie, which is at times horrific, disgusting, hilarious, and frightening.

As with really every other movie I’ve seen by him, this one has to be seen to be believed. I could describe what happens in this movie, but it would certainly sound like I’m making it up.

The movie is certainly well made, and quite stylish. The violence (of which there is a shocking amount) is often times played for laughs, which is a bit weird to me, but it does genuinely shock you at several moments.

I’ve certainly never seen a movie quite like this, and I’m unlikely to ever again. And that’s both a good and a bad thing.

Rating: 6/10