Review of Ichi the Killer (2001) by Jarrett M — 11 Apr 2012

Ichi the Killer was my introduction to Takashi Miike's work and the beginning of my exploration of Asian horror and exteme cinema. And it is one hell of an introduction. This isn't so much a straight-up horror film, even though much of the imagery is pretty horrific; this is more like a crime drama/thriller.

There is a considerable amount of gore, violence, sexuality, and nudity and often at the same time. The story is not terribly easy to follow and will require considerable attention and input from the viewer to be able to keep track of the goings on.

The ending is a bit hard to figure out, but that is almost a trademark of Miike's. The performances are competant across the board, but the real star of the film is Tadanobu Asano as the masichistic yakuza Kakihara.

He creates a character that will stay with you long after the film is over and the imagery starts to fade. If you are just getting into Asian films and have never seen anything of Miike's, I would recommend that you start with his more 'accessible' films, such as 13 Assasins, One Missed Call (original, not remake) or even Audition.

They will give you an idea of his style and his use of extremely 'unpleasant visuals' without drowning you in them as this film will. However, if you love extreme movies or want a movie that will test your limits of what you can handle, this is perfect for that.

Just don't say that you weren't warned.