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Tadanobu Asano, Nao Omori, Shinya Tsukamoto, Alien Sun, Sabú

Maverick auteur Takashi Miike spins this unsettling, blood-soaked yakuza yarn adapted from Hideo Yamamoto's cult manga Koroshiya 1. When mob don Anjo mysteriously disappears, his protégé Kakihara (Tad... read more read more...anobu Asano) vows to find the people responsible. Sporting a blond head of hair and a yawning, pierced slash for a mouth, Kakihara is no ordinary gangster and his methods are equally unorthodox; he impales one poor suspect's naked body on a series of meat hooks and then dumps hot oil on him. Meanwhile, a shadowy character known as Jijii (played by director Shinya Tsukamoto) deftly manipulates, for his own nefarious ends, Ichi (Nao Omori), an unbalanced but ruthless killing machine clad in a superhero suit. Pining for the sadistic abuse of his boss, Kakihara learns of Ichi from a Hong Kong hostess (Alien Sun) and sets out to find this fabled butcher, hoping he can inflict the pain that Kakihara craves. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival as a part of the Midnight Madness program. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

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82% liked it

48,108 ratings

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63% liked it

35 critics

R, 2 hr. 8 min.

Directed by: Takashi Miike

Release Date: September 14, 2001

Keywords: action, violent, horror, date

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DVD Release Date: November 18, 2003

Stats: 4,358 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (4,358)

  • brooklynspo
    November 4, 2007
    brooklynspo
    Sadistic, misogynistic, comic and bloody in the extreme, Ichi the Killer is darkly funny, painfully disturbing and confusing as hell. I'm still not sure the story actually makes sense. It's more sort of a Japanese pulp-genre (manga-yakuza-superhero-s&m porn) mashing with th... read moree violence pumped up to the point of almost being cartoonish. But not quite.

    Tadanobu Asano, the blonde dude on the poster, oozes fucked-up cool all over the movie. You can't take your eyes off him.
  • blkbomb
    December 6, 2011
    blkbomb
    Kakihara: There's no love in your violence.

    "Love really hurts."

    Despite how much I like Takashi Miike, I was not impressed by Ichi the Killer at all. I didn't mind that it was so violent and disturbing because I knew that was the case going in. I just didn't like the way the m... read moreovie flowed. The tones were all fucked up and it didn't really allow me to get into it. There would be a scene where violence was depicted in a serious and totally disturbing way and then ten seconds later there would be a crazy, over-the-top act of violence that seemed like it was in the movie to create laughs. I couldn't tell if I wanted to laugh or not and soon I just didn't care. The violence keeps coming and keeps coming with nothing to back it up. This doesn't live up to other movies of this type like Oldboy or I See The Devil. Those have substance to back up their violence.

    Miike got it right with Audition. He made a ridiculously disturbing movie by giving the viewer a lot of down time to build up tension. So when he finally got to the sadistic, violent parts; they were effective. The sadistic scenes in this aren't, other than the first, because we are constantly watching them and not really seeing much of anything else. I know it sounds like I am an ultra-conservative dbag who doesn't like to watch movies with violence in them, and this is not true. In fact, I think I like these sadistic movies a bit too much. This one is just not that good in my opinion.

    Even though I don't love this movie, it still has its share of good things going on. I loved the stylish way the movie was shot. I loved the character Kakihara, with his carved grin and his ridiculous love all things pain; whether it be him who is being hurt or whether it be him who is doing the hurting, he really doesn't care. The film also has one really good scene which involves suspending a victim from hooks and pouring hot oil on him. From there, the movie begins to go downhill slowly, but surely. 

    I'm not angry I watched the movie, as there are things to take away from it, being that it was made by an extremely talented director that definitely knows how to shoot an act of violence.
  • animegirlaya
    March 6, 2011
    animegirlaya
    Okay....It's just fucking disgusting that it's, It's made a massive Cult Following over nothing. This movie is one of the reasons they dub us as fucked up. And it's sad but it's Takashi Miike and I fucking hate that guy and his movies, Hated Audition, Hated Gozu, He is just disg... read moreusting.

    Should I get into it? Should I? No I won't at all, I don't want to waste time at all.

    The acting is horrible, The story is terrible, Nothing but disgusting acts of violence to shock one as a viewer. I got to that hard-core school-girl Rape scene and turned it off, it's funny because I have yet to view it all.

    I simply hate this movie......

    Keiko's score 5-100
  • ariuza1
    January 6, 2011
    ariuza1
    Ichi the Killer is a legendry yet such an awesomely cruel film to leave gore hounds wanting more and more. Just the violence's and the sense of realism that puts people off then again this is a film by Takashi Miike when can expects this stuff and also films like Audition and Goz... read moreu, if you must know his favourite movie is Starship Troopers one of the violent and best Sci-fi films ever made. Just the gore is what keeps a person watching and when Kakihara torture the business man that was fucked up with all those hooks in his back and the needle going throw his mouth and skin, grossly sick but keeps you watching.

    When a Yakuza boss named Anjo disappears with 300 million yen, his chief henchman, a sadomasochistic man named Kakihara, and the rest of his mob goons go looking for him. After capturing and torturing a rival Yakuza member looking for answers, they soon realize they have the wrong man and begin looking for the man named Jijii who tipped them off in the first place. Soon enough Kakihara and his men encounter Ichi, a psychotic, sexually-repressed young man with amazing martial arts abilities and blades that come out of his shoes. One by one Ichi takes out members of the Yakuza and all the while Kakihara intensifies his pursuit of Ichi and Ichi's controller Jijii. What will happen as the final showdown happens between the tortured and ultra-violent Ichi and the pain-craving Kakihara?

    The story can be ultra confusing most times and with the all famous

    "Ichi I want you to rape me I know you wanted too back years ago join in and make me feel alive"

    Some messed up stuff but that's truly not even the half of it. Then again I say the same for Audition but that's one of my all time favourite movies Meany would say the same for its Art house brilliants and any none fan of this stuff would like.

    The acting itself is really good, Tadanobu Asano as Kakihara makes you remember the man with those Scars of his face and never lets you forget overall awesome acting. Nao Omori as Ichi he is playing a messed up part but still he is good nothing to amazing its like he use to the sight of graphic violence's and gore.

    Kakihara is likely the most notorious villain I have ever seen and behind him Ichi this major child like loner. Kakihara gets nothing but a fix when it comes to torturing people and in gruesome ways I read the Mangas some or a while ago they were sick and in more vile ways then this.

    The violence's is just way over the top I mean I have seen gore before but god there is so much of it I think the special effects are an amazing prise besides the over use on CGI.

    I come to a close overall confusing but worth it. Meny of my friends call me Ariuza1.
  • cosmo313
    December 30, 2010
    cosmo313
    I had heard a lot about this nasty and infamous little pictue, but even then, wasn't really all that sure what to expect. Surprisingly enough, I actually really liked this. Unlike the torture porn it influenced, this actually has some merits beneath the surface.

    This is so bl... read moreatantly a satire with some deeper themes that it is a little dumb to get upset over the content, as gruesome as it is. Only maybe one or two scenes really cross the line. This is shot with an incredible amount of style and energy and for that, I am able to enjoy it even if I felt like I needed a shower as the end creits rolled.

    Bottom line: give this a chance. It is brutal, it is disgusting, but it's also really funny (very dark humor) which I wasn't expecting, but really enjoyed. The perforances are good, and really, this is just a wild and unique film, so just try to look past the gore (if you don't like it) and you'll be fine.
  • blacksheepboy
    October 22, 2009
    blacksheepboy
    Really shocking in its excess of gore and brutal violence; a bizarre (and inadvertently hilarious) manga story filled with dark humor and featuring a cute but odd anti-hero and one fascinating sadomasochistic villain.
  • SirPant
    September 14, 2009
    SirPant
    Don?t get me wrong, I really like this movie, I just think Takashi Miike shouldn?t have rushed it! Still, a really good, hard core, real life manga classic!
  • MidnightMadwoman
    March 12, 2009
    MidnightMadwoman
    Takashi Miike does not try real hard to make his movies make sense, but that's not to say that this hinders them at all. The Kakihara versus Ichi dynamic fuels this movie, and I'm really a sucker for dualities like that. I really liked the way Kakihara tried to out-psycho Ichi, d... read moreespite the fact that Ichi didn't know he was playing the game. It all made the final battle scene all the more fascinating to watch. Ever want to see a maniac Asian gorhound director's idea of duelling banjoes? This is the film to see.

    To call this film gratuitous and excessive is to miss the point: whereas gratuity takes the viewer OUT of the film, here, gratuity IS the film. The brutality is so relentless and pervasive that moments of genuine kindess, levity and tenderness seem really out-of-place and make the characters visibly uncomfortable.
  • matertenebraum
    January 7, 2009
    matertenebraum
    Ichi the Killer is definitely not a film for people who have weak stomachs or who are easily offended. This film contains some of the most shocking images you'll ever see and includes some very disturbing characters that won't be forgotten in a hurry. It is always a very brave mo... read moreve for a film maker when they decide to adapt from a manga as manga often has aspects within it that can not be replicated in to a live picture. Takashi Miike makes the transition possible and blows away all walls of reality with an outstanding and totally unforgettable film.

    The plot involves Yakuza boss Anjo going missing with a huge stash of cash, his gang members investigate and a classic game of cat and mouse is involved. This seems simple enough but what is out of the ordinary is that the leader of the investigation, Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano), is a major masochist and Anjo's killer, Ichi (Nao Omori) is the ultimate sadist with a tormented soul. This is where Ichi the Killer's shocking and graphic imagery really come in to force. Miike is uncompromising in his approach with regards to what he delivers on screen. There are no subtleties, no off camera goings on; it is all there for the audience to see, in full detail! The torture scenes, and their results, are especially horrific. If this film had been made in America or Europe, it would have been banned within a second of being made, it's that graphic. What disturbed me more than the disgusting imagery however, were the characters. Ichi's character I found genuinely terrifying as whilst he often comes across as a cartoonish character, there is a disturbingly real quality to his character. Ichi's childlike naivety draws many parallels to past psychotic killers that have existed in real life and his sexual excitement at causing pain and death is incredibly unsettling. Also unsettling is the character of Kakihara. His badly scarred face and clips either side of his lips immediately make him appear a scary figure and the only thing more disturbing than his pleasure for torturing others and watching their pain is his unparalleled love for being beaten and tortured himself.

    What I like about many Asian films is that the acting is often very good and Ichi the Killer is no exception. Tadanobu Asano is brilliant as Kakihara. His performance is charismatic and terrifying, he does a great job of making the role his own. Nao Omori plays Ichi perfectly. The way that he can act tormented, childish and merciless all in one scene is incredible to watch and, as I said before, gives the film a genuinely disturbing edge rather than just immense gore. Alien Sun is very sexy as Karen and the way she speaks more than one language in an almost random fashion adds further mystery to this film. The fact that Karen is the only character who has Ichi's past explained to her from Jijii makes the audience able to empathise with her character more than anyone else. Shinya Tsukamoto is also very good as Jijii. His character is unravelled throughout the film and Tsukamoto is very convincing in his portrayal of what turns out to be a very complex character.

    The purpose of this film is to shock and it achieves its goal to the point where you almost can not watch. With extremely graphic gore and some intense surrealist imagery that Salvador Dali himself would have been proud of, Ichi the Killer will never be forgotten and deserves to be watched by a lot more people (even if they can only watch it once!). Miike is very clever with his direction. The way he blends Kaneko's flash back sequences with the present does wonders to keep the audience's attention. The ending is also done with great style and is very effective in ending the film so it is down to interpretation of the audience.

    Despite being very hard to palate, Ichi the Killer is a fantastic film. Directing, acting, writing and score are all spot on and the quality of the film is very good. Not a film I could handle watching too regularly but definitely a film I'll want to watch a few more times in the future.
  • Stinger839
    December 6, 2008
    Stinger839
    This is a landmark gorefest, with some of the most inventive torture scenes in cinematic history. The plot is a little convoluted but I believe that's because when this transfered from manga to script, alot of characters and unnecessary segments were kept which could have been co... read morendensed.
    Also I've been mislead by the box art for years now. Having just watched it, I now know that the character on the posters is not the infamous Ichi, but his masochistic equivalent Kakihara, who is a far more interesting, if less complex, character than Ichi.
    Some of the CG doesn't fit right, especially the halved body or the first time Kakihara unhinges his whole jaw, and that's not acceptable when the semen used in the title sequence is real (and looks it). Miike could have re-shot the halving scene in a more traditional "Cube" way and it would have been just as good.
    Kakihara should (if you are a stable human being) blow you away with his insane acts of self mutilation; they're truly impeccable and Kakihara is a villain of the highest order.

    MSG TO YOU PEOPLE KNOW WHO YOU ARE: DO NOT WATCH A FUCKING DUB. These dubs redo everything INCLUDING screams and gasps and it just RUINS the movie (obviously the creators wanted viewers to not favor the dubs as they are done so shittily). Dubbed, you won't get the full experience; it's a complete star rating worse with the dubs.

    "So Fucked Up" highlight: the jaw unhinged properly, Kakihara having himself tortured

View All Koroshiya 1 (Ichi the Killer) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Dennis Harvey
August 8, 2008
Dennis Harvey, Variety

Even hardy gonzo-cinema auds will likely find the hectic pace overstimulating to the point of numbed-out tedium. Full Review

J. R. Jones
May 3, 2007
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

The torture is strictly for kicks, which spoiled this for me, but less skittish viewers may enjoy this as a stylish and tightly wound genre piece. Full Review

John Petrakis
October 23, 2003
John Petrakis, Chicago Tribune

Any serious message has been sacrificed on the altar of excess, making us realize why the stylish story probably worked better as a graphic comic book than as a film. Full Review

Elizabeth Weitzman
June 10, 2003
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

The unceasing sadism is so graphically excessive, the director just ends up exposing his own obsession. Full Review

Frank Scheck
June 5, 2003
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

Only those most addicted to film violence in all its forms will find anything here to appreciate.

Dave Kehr
May 19, 2003
Dave Kehr, New York Times

The direction occasionally rises to the level of marginal competence, but for most of the film it is hard to tell who is chasing who or why. Full Review

V.A. Musetto
May 16, 2003
V.A. Musetto, New York Post

Those who want to be jolted out of their gourd should drop everything and run to Ichi.

July 16, 2010
Film4

Ultra-violent action from Japan's leading cult director that plays fast and loose with genre conventions to deliver an innovative -- and frequently revolting -- work of cult Asian cinema. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
April 15, 2010
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Miiki holds up violence as a virtue, in this nonconformist cartoon-like ode to ultra-violence, sadism and masochism. Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.
April 29, 2009
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed

Hurts so bad, but feels so good. Full Review

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    • Kakihara: There's no love in your violence.
    • Kakihara: Put some feeling into it, already! If you're going to give someone pain, you've got to get into it!
    • Kakihara: Damn... Nobody left to kill me.
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