Kawaki.

I have no idea what to say. It's impossible not to go "What The Hell" like, a 100 times until the end of the movie. I can't even describe it.

===1. STORY - 6/10===

The story's pretty much about a father searching for his lost daughter, who has been missing for about a week. Every step closer to finding his daughter, sheds a new light on his daughter's true colours. Quite an adventure. It gave me new ideas and tips on to how to create a real thrilling story.

The downside is, watching this movie made me walk over to a corner, get down into a fetus position, and rock back and forth. It was REALLY violent, REALLY disturbing, ABSOLUTELY depressing and OVER THE TOP disgusting.

The upside is, however, was it wasn't one of those films with random killing and stuff. The movie actually had a story. Everything'll be explained throughout the movie until the credits. All they did was add a little more bonkers into every action they did.

===2. ACTING - 9/10===

The acting however, was absolutely fantastic. Akikazu, Kanako, and everyone else. They all did an amazing job. The movie's true aim was to show that you can't trust anybody but yourself. In the movie, you think that the character seems nice, but next thing you know, they just go ridiculously crazy.

===3. CINEMATOGRAPHY - 9/10===

The cinematography and imagery were REALLY good. It really gave the vibe of a dark,cold and sad world.

===4. SOUNDTRACK - 8.5/10===

The music's really good too. Playing some classic Dean Martin hits while a murder is taking place. It really gave me the feeling of uneasiness they wanted to deliver.

===5. OVERALL - 7/10===

Never watch this at a family gathering.

I watched this movie because I loved the film "Kamikaze Girls" which was made by the same director. But instead, I got a film with a 'slice of hell' mushed all over it.

Moral To Story: Never do drugs.

I had previously seen an earlier film helmed by Tetsuya Nakashima, namely Confessions (2010). I seem to remember that one dealt with some disturbing material involving high school kids. Well, this latest film from Nakashima also delves into these particular waters. In this one we have an older central character, a man who is an alcoholic, violent and a bad father. He is a former detective who is on the hunt for his missing daughter. As he progresses in his investigation, layer by layer he discovers more and more of his teenage daughter's horrendous double-life.

This Japanese mystery-thriller was not unlike the South Korean film Oldboy (2003) with its complete absence of likable characters populating a world where every part of society is rotten. If anything, this movie is even more extreme in this regard. It's a very violent film, although its heavy stylization meant that the nastier elements are less disturbing overall. In truth the style that the film presents its story is possibly both its strength and its weakness. It is made up of rapid edits, with memories and present day occurrences being interwoven together. It is a bit full-on I have to say and thank heavens for the rewind button! It can be hard to follow if I am totally honest and you will need to be alert to keep up with this one. So I think the presentation can be a bit of an issue, however, it is also this very complex editing that ensures that the story is more compelling. Once you look back on it, the story has certain weaknesses, with an ultimate resolution to the mystery not necessarily being as interesting as the journey we take getting there. But the journey is interesting and dynamically told and, in fairness, I am sure this one would benefit from a re-watch given that there really is a lot going on. In addition to the relentless editing, there are also anime and comic-book graphics interspersed throughout, as well as twee Japanese schoolgirl material mixed in with disturbing and violent stuff; while there is a constant reference to 'Alice in Wonderland' with the idea of a girl falling down a hole that just keeps on going. It's a heady mix of ideas all things considered and I have to say that its ambitious presentation made this one a film well worth seeing.

I think my headline pretty much says it all but this is a movie that infuses style, gore, cartoon, and fantasy to tell a story full of rape, violence, domestic abuse and pedophilia. A father searches for his daughter but what he finds lands him in the middle of a war between the mob, filled with police corruption, and school bullying. And this is not a spoiler, nor does it scratch the surface. It is a ridiculously creative film but the plot and characters just are not redeemable and that impacts how enjoyable the film is. And this is coming from someone who loves Moebius and Von Trier movies, but I don't find much to grasp onto here.

The premise may be minimal, a man searching for his missing daughter discovers she's not what she seems, but the execution is totally over the top.

For starters, it's hyper stylized. The non-linear narrative is frantically edited, at times hard to follow, but always keeping you on your toes. It wilfully mixes genres, going from rogue cop action to teen drama to gory horror to Japanese dance party to art house at the drop of a hat. The music struggles to keep up with the shifting moods, often coming across as a parody of the various styles it emulates. It occasionally aims for the thrift store score of a Tarantino flick, but pales in comparison to his masterful curation.

In a interesting creative choice, the central protagonist is an absolutely loathsome character. He acts as a catalyst for the onslaught of ultraviolence that drives the intrigue of the film, which is as captivating as it is problematic. It unnecessarily pushes boundaries on sexual violence towards women while numbing the viewer to the excessive savagery. The film does eventually wear out it's welcome by the final leg as the seesaw between physical brutality and emotional devastation can prove exhausting over the two hour run-time.

Flaws aside, it's a totally insane ride both for the depraved subject matter and the gonzo delivery. Fully recommended for viewers with strong stomachs and off the wall tastes.

I think I would've liked reading the source material for this movie. Seems like a good read. The actual movie on the other hand, it was a bit of a hit and a miss for me. I liked the colors, the great acting, and the fact that Kanako's dark secret wasn't something I saw coming. However, I felt like it started out great and then kind of dragged on a little bit on the second half just to end as a totally confused mess. Too many characters and too many sub-plots all of a sudden. I think with a little bit of editing and focusing more on some of the characters (like the bullied boys who were in love with Kanako, or the thug girl) the movie would've been a bit more interesting. If you want to watch something violent and gory, with a decent story and a dark twist I would recommend it. It's pretty unique. I wouldn't buy it, but it was entertaining, a decent watch.