Review of Battle Royale (2000) by Willem C — 02 Apr 2014

Battle Royale was a movie conceptually far ahead of its time. It's a shame to see it not gain the box office success it should have, yet with a green American audience, the closest entry in this sub-genre would be the dreaded Hunger Games.

This movie succeeded where The Hunger Games failed. It didn't gloss over or dramatize the violence, it had the perfect balance of showing and telling to demonstrate the oppressive regime pulling the strings, and had a set of amateur actors so connected and dedicated to their roles that it redefined and confirmed Japan's place as a global power in contemporary cinema.

For 21st century movie buffs, Battle Royale deserves a spot near American Psycho, Erin Brokovich and Cast Away as one of the best movies of 2000.