Review of The Outsider (2018) by Elle P — 14 Mar 2018

The Outsider (2018) is a familiar tale but one told so brilliantly.

Jared Leto is excellent as the beatnik World War II veteran POW with no family and no allegiances. After saving the life of a fellow prisoner (and yakuza) the ever talented, Tadanobu Asano, he finds himself in the middle of a Japanese crime syndicate identity crisis. Fans of Asano's contemplative independent films like Last Life in the Universe (2006), Mongol (2007) and his various other projects with samurai themes will not be disappointed.

This slow drama unfolds on the backdrop of post-war Japan where the yakuza is on the brink of transforming from a traditional brotherhood to the encroaching influences of neo-corporatism. The visual metaphors presented are well framed. This film is about the death of a certain way of life, the end of an era, and takes note of the tragic characters affected within. The performances were understated and dignified.

Jared Leto's Nick feels like the romantic Japanese heroes of lore: beautiful, reserved, and strong. Tadanobu Asano's Kiyoshi is the embodiment of fraternal love and loyalty. The villain, too, could have been forgiven if he wasn't fully aware of his selfish cowardice.

It's a tragic film with a bittersweet end. I enjoyed it immensely and highly recommend it.

(Also the cameo of renowned tattoo artist Hori Ren was pretty dope.