Review of Battle Royale (2000) by Sam J — 05 Nov 2018

42 Students, Three Days, One Survivor, No Rules. Kinji Fukasakuï¿ 1/2 1/2(TM)s hit underground classic makes The Hunger Games look like a childrenï¿ 1/2 1/2(TM)s tv show. An all-out battle of life or death is made to look so stylishly gory. Japanï¿ 1/2 1/2(TM)s current economy is on the brink of collapse, the youth are becoming unruly and Kitano, a quiet teacher is forced to quit after being assaulted at his school. A class of 9th-grade students are set out on an adventure for a field trip until they are gassed and taken to a deserted island. The frightened teenagers are then met with their old teacher, Kitano, whose life they made hell. Armed with just water, food, a map and a random weapon to survive this sadistic deathmatch until thereï¿ 1/2 1/2(TM)s one winner. Failure to comply with the rules will result in the brutal death by an exploding neck collar.

This movie deserves the cult status it has. The undertones of teenage drama and dark humour bring a pleasant delight to its sadistically gory theme.