- Advisory:
- NC16. Some Nudity and Disturbing Scenes
- Directed by:
- Kiyoshi Kurosawa
- Cast:
- Koji Yakusho, Masato Hagiwara, Tsuyoshi Ujiki, Anna Nakagawa,
- Year:
- 1997
- Duration:
- 1h 51mins
- Language:
- Japanese
- Subtitles:
- English
-Dates: 18, 26, 31 Jan-
94% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes
9 wins & 2 nominations including Best Actor (Kôji Yakusho), 1997 Tokyo International Film Festival
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Detective Takabe (Kôji Yakusho, Perfect Days) investigates a wave of bizarre, gruesome murders sweeps through Tokyo, all of them connected only by an ‘X’ carved into the victims’ necks and the fact that none of the murderers can remember why they committed the crimes.
From the mind of one of the world’s top horror directors, comes the spine-chilling film that kickstarted Japan’s wave of J-horror films that followed, including its influence on 'Ring' and 'Ju-On'.
The film was released to strong critical acclaim in Japan and internationally, with critics praising Kurosawa's direction as well as the visuals and atmosphere. In 2012, South Korean film director Bong Joon-ho listed the film as one of the greatest films of all time, citing it as having had a strong impact on his career.
"...a hauntingly intricate and deeply inquisitive thriller that questions the concepts of human morality, reason, and repression unlike any other film" - Loud and Clear Reviews