Review of Visitor Q (2001) by Andrew D — 03 Jul 2007

I'm saying "uncle" now. miike's the only director I can think of who truly leaves taboos and envelopes and lines in sand trembling as he plows right through them and everything else. Ichi The Killer was an empty pornography of violence, Gozu was lynch's Lost Highway on quart-size syringes of pure heroin, and Visitor Q made me rethink this whole movie buff thing.

It's a satire (kinda?) on the reality television craze, and maybe the context would soften some of the insane stuff in the movie if I would let it, but part of my soul seriously died watching this. I can take extreme satire (loved Man Bites Dog), but this comes close to crossing over into something frighteningly real and unthinkably disturbing.

I'm giving it 2 stars for the unsettlingly on-point social commentary. otherwise, I wish i'd never seen it.