Koroshiya 1 (Ichi the Killer) (2001)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Bob S

  
  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)… More
  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 the 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.

• Melvin W

  
  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… More
  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 movie 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.

• Keiko A

  
  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… More
  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 disgusting. 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

• Ariuza k

  
  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… More
  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 Gozu, 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.

• Chris W

  
  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… More
  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 blatantly 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.

• Carlos M

  
  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.

• Anthony L

  
  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!

• Emily A

  
  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… More
  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, despite 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.

• Cassandra M

  
  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… More
  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 move 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.

• _kelly .

  
  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… More
  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 condensed. <br/>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. <br/>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.<br/>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. <br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>"So Fucked Up" highlight: the jaw unhinged properly, Kakihara having himself tortured

• David L

  
  It is interesting that most reviews of "Ichi" dwell so heavily upon the violence depicted in the film. To me this is reminiscent of Tarrantino's work (particularly "Pulp Fiction"). Much of the violence depicted within Miike's "Ichi" is actually… More
  It is interesting that most reviews of "Ichi" dwell so heavily upon the violence depicted in the film. To me this is reminiscent of Tarrantino's work (particularly "Pulp Fiction"). Much of the violence depicted within Miike's "Ichi" is actually implied, meaning that as a director, he will set the scene up and proceed to show you something, only to cleverly cut away, leaving your mind to fill in the details. I had read many reviews before viewing "Ichi the Killer" which proclaimed this film to be exceedingly gory and unnecessarily violent. After viewing the film, I found both positions to be false. The gore is no more than many mainstream American releases, and the violence, although unsettling at some points was on par with what you may expect from the average Kung-Fu movie. If anything, I was surprised by the absurdly comic value of some scenes within the film. Make no mistake, this is a movie made for adults but I found nothing in this film which would necessitate any further caveat. Technically I would rate this as a beautiful film, with points going for both style and substance. The soundtrack for the film was very good, as was the depiction of the locales. The world depicted in the film consisted of a strange dichotomy of fluorescent lighting contrasted with rich shadows. As far as editing is concerned, the film moved at a pace which is reflected in the frantic nature of the storyline. The plot, a morality play about the use of evil to fight evil, is a bit obtuse for the average American movie goer, but as it has been stated before, if you posses any depth in regards to philosophy you should find this an provocative film. Overall, "Ichi the Killer" is a very good film. It is unfortunate that many cannot see through the violence and enjoy the film on the level that the director intended.

• Pierluigi P

  
  Overrated and highly sadistic yakuza freak show. nevertheless, violence is so gratuitous and over the top that turns to be funny.

• Justin Y

  
  Once again, Takashi Miike puts his really creative mind into a film. It is one thing to be creative, but it is also another thing to be over the top. This film is near the borderline between being a really good creative movie and being uniquely weird. Unfortunately, this falls on… More
  Once again, Takashi Miike puts his really creative mind into a film. It is one thing to be creative, but it is also another thing to be over the top. This film is near the borderline between being a really good creative movie and being uniquely weird. Unfortunately, this falls on the uniquely weird side.<p>When it comes down to it, at a high level, the story is pretty simple. Yet it is still quite hard to grasp. You really need to pay attention to what is going on. Miike's various visuals and seemingly random cut scenes will throw off the story at multiple points. But, unlike a movie titled <i>Izo</i>, you will still be able to follow most of this film. The pace isn't too fast and it isn't too slow either, although some of the cut scenes make the film seem faster at points.</p><p>You may see this falling under a horror film in many places. This is partially true, but I feel more confident with a violent-sex drama classification. This film is loaded with violence, blood, nudity, sex, and dark humor. Definitely not for the weak stomachs. The torture scenes are slow and suspenseful. They do show quite a bit of the gory stuff, but thankfully they don't show every single thing. Not to mention they tend to drag on.</p><p>I don't know how to rate the acting. I guess it's OK. I mean nobody seems out of place if you catch my drift. It is nice to see Sabu, who actually plays the most normal character in this film.</p><p>I can see why this is a highly talked about film from Miike, but I still feel that the creativity is a little too much to make this a successful movie. Nevertheless, I will recommend this film to anybody who wants a mixture of violence, gore, and sex.

• Tsubaki S

  
  Defies simple descriptions. Over the top in every cinematic sense. Tadanobu Asano redefines the "cool bad guy" as the unique Kakihara, and Tsukamoto defines how to play a support character.

• Lady D

  
  Violent, graphic, sadisdic and masochistic. This was one of my first sub-titled films and I did the one thing you're not supposed to, I put English dubbing on because I was having a lazy day, learnt my lesson! VERDICT: Great film, not for people who have weak stomaches!

• Aaron N

  
  Funaki: Kakihara! What the fuck do you think you are doing? Kakihara: [referring to Suzuki] Just a little torture. This movie is a big mess of gore, misogyny, and non entertaining shock value. Its also kind of boring after a while. For a movie that is trying to be so extreme with… More
  Funaki: Kakihara! What the fuck do you think you are doing? Kakihara: [referring to Suzuki] Just a little torture. This movie is a big mess of gore, misogyny, and non entertaining shock value. Its also kind of boring after a while. For a movie that is trying to be so extreme with its violence, I really didn't care to much for what I was seeing. The story has two main plots. The first revolves around the character Ichi. He is this big cry baby who is brain washed into killing Yakuza, while dressed in this terrible rubber costume. When he is not doing this, he is literally crying all the time because he has been brain washed into thinking that he saw a rape as a boy and did nothing about it when he was there. This is used as the motivation to get him to kill when he is needed. The other plot involves Kakihara, the man pictured on the cover, with the slit cheeks. He is a misogynist, loving to give and receive pain, and happily delivers it after Ichi starts tearing shit up all over Japan. Eventually the movie becomes a build up to the final confrontation between these two, leading to the strange and somewhat ambiguous ending. Even though I was not entertained very much by this movie, there were some inventive sequences that didn't make this a waste of time, as well as a good performance by Tadanobu Asano as Kakihara. Director Takashi Miike, who is the basic inspiration for the recent torture horror craze in America, certainly knows how to stage to bloody sequences, approaching squirm worthy levels. Still, even with the number of needlessly violent messes of films that I've seen, this one just wasn't for me. Kakihara: Damn... Nobody left to kill me.

• A.D. V

  
  For the first time in my adult life I had to look away from the screen for a second or two because of the unrelenting torture that goes on. Truly disturbing and yet the genius that is Miike can have you laughing 10 seconds later at something else completely different.

• Michael S

  
  One of the weirdest and most perversly violent films I've ever laid eyes on... and I loved it!

• Christopher M

  
  I'm used to Asian films with a great balance between substance and style, and this was pretty much no different (though there is a bit more of the latter). This is a hyper-stylish, violent-as-hell tale of a killer with serious emotional problems called Ichi who is chased down by… More
  I'm used to Asian films with a great balance between substance and style, and this was pretty much no different (though there is a bit more of the latter). This is a hyper-stylish, violent-as-hell tale of a killer with serious emotional problems called Ichi who is chased down by the ultra sadomasochistic Kakihara - after Kakihara's gang boss disappears with 300 million yen. It's completely over the top and colourful and very gory and pretty much a rip roaring good time, backed by a decent story, a very good cast, and some very well developed, complex main characters. Tadanobu Asano (Kakihara) and Nao Omori (Ichi), especially, put in fabulous performances - Asano's portrayal of Kakihara was somewhat reminiscent of Gary Oldman's seminal bad-guy performance in Luc Besson's "Leon". Appreciators of Asian cinema, the culture in general, of Anime, and who want to bear witness to one of the most monstrously bloody and cool films ever - should see it. Anyone with an especially weak stomach or who labels themself as a feminist should not - this is definitely not an empowering film for women.

• Adam M

  
  I'm not passing final judgement on Miike but this is the most repulsive movie I've ever seen. It's pornographic gore, with a statement about sadism, violence and control that doesn't justify any of the rape and mutilation, which it takes pleasure in

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