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Ichi the Killer

Name: Ichi the Killer
Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Comedy
Released: May 19, 2003
Duration: 129 min
Rating: 55

2003

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 58 Ratings

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7.6

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7.6	Your Score
7.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 58 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Media Blasters | Release Date: May 19, 2003 | Unrated

Summary: An ultraviolent revenge movie based on a Manga cartoon in which a sinister hypnotist manipulates the timid but unstable Ichi to dispatch various mobsters in horrifically violent fashion by invoking false memories of witnessing a rape.

Director: Takashi Miike

Genre(s): Action, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Comedy, Crime

Rating: Unrated

Runtime: 129 min

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Awards & Rankings

84	#84 Most Discussed Movie of 2003

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Critic Reviews

Chuck Bowen

Unhinged even for Takashi Miike, Ichi the Killer suggests a bloody and ejaculate-stained Rorschach inkblot, reveling in ultraviolence that can be interpreted to flatter any adventurous audience's sensibilities. Read full review

V.A. Musetto

One of Miike's most violent and sadistic movies, filled with squirting blood, throat-slashing, limb-hacking and other forms of mutilation too gruesome to describe here. Read full review

Tanner Tafelski

Underneath the spillage and flow of this gonzo activity, Miike layers a blood-stained commentary on a toxic world in which men offer protection to men but really end up dooming them to exist within a spasmodic, shambolic, and hypermasculine sphere of violence. Read full review

John Petrakis

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. Read full review

Dave Kehr

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. Read full review

Dennis Harvey

Completely over-the-top yakuza actioner -- featuring nonstop mayhem, gore, torture and S&M -- duly reflects its comic book origins in both style and barely coherent narrative frenzy. Read full review

Elizabeth Weitzman

This time around, the cult director dispenses with the feminism, the satire, and even the issues, so he can concentrate on his true passion: the dissecting. Read full review

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User Reviews

ether

Aug 10, 2008

Against the grain of consumed and consumeristic US flicks, Ichi the Killer is a distinguished film because of the very aspect of being against the grain of mainstream horror film: horror for horror sake, or even worse, horror for the sake of excess, no more. what may seem as excessive Against the grain of consumed and consumeristic US flicks, Ichi the Killer is a distinguished film because of the very aspect of being against the grain of mainstream horror film: horror for horror sake, or even worse, horror for the sake of excess, no more. what may seem as excessive violence in Miike's film (the graphic scenes of slashing and cutting body parts) isn't gratuitous fright to put the viewers on edge. it is violence that delves deep into the darkest of the darks of human nature as defined by fear, nonsatisfactio, futility and the impossibility of achieving one's fullness. a fullness not defined by what brings humanity closer to its universally accepted good, but fullness as effect of total surrender to one's inner calling for complete surrender to the dark rather than the light of any utopian dimensions. a utopia of negative affirmation, if you will, where life ceases to be the unfolding progress that has so pinned modernity against barbarians and invaders. it's a progress of a different shape, color and smell: it is the progression of the purity of destruction, marred not by the human fusion of contradictions (sadomasochism), but the by the infinite singularity of the ultimate infliction -- sadism not qualified by any tinge of compromise.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

SavenQ.

Jan 10, 2009

One of Takashi Miike's best. Styilsh, colorful, violent, funny and different.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Fireside

May 3, 2011

In a world full of not good films, there exists a few films that are very good. This is one of those films. This is creativity for the sake of creativity. This is a celebration of hedonism and chaos.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

A.J.S.

Jan 25, 2006

Obviously don't see this movie if you can't stand to watch a gory movie. And if you do not like gory movies and watch it anyway then don't write a bad review because it is gory. We know. Other than that, this movie is extremely entertaining, with bizarre, twisted characters Obviously don't see this movie if you can't stand to watch a gory movie. And if you do not like gory movies and watch it anyway then don't write a bad review because it is gory. We know. Other than that, this movie is extremely entertaining, with bizarre, twisted characters truly not fit for this world. The plot has numerous twists which can be confusing at times, and the end is especially mysterious. Miike's cinematography in this movie is quite good, creating a visually aggresive ambience. I thought it was great and everyone who enjoys gory movies should see it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

BentleyTurtle

Mar 22, 2017

Very cool movie. Love the setting and the plot, where we get a look into the japanse yakuza, and follow a yakuza henchman as he's searching for his boss. The gore maybe a little dated, but i love how bizzare and mysterious this movie is. The main character, Kakihara, is one of the greatestVery cool movie. Love the setting and the plot, where we get a look into the japanse yakuza, and follow a yakuza henchman as he's searching for his boss. The gore maybe a little dated, but i love how bizzare and mysterious this movie is. The main character, Kakihara, is one of the greatest characters i've ever seen. 8/10… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JekSpacey

May 11, 2014

" Ichi The Killer" is a real pulp made in Japan , which took , however, the element of violence and has an extreme beyond belief . The film , in fact, not only shows rapes and gruesome scenes of sadism , but also of extreme masochism. These scenes are a real film heritage , both for their" Ichi The Killer" is a real pulp made in Japan , which took , however, the element of violence and has an extreme beyond belief . The film , in fact, not only shows rapes and gruesome scenes of sadism , but also of extreme masochism. These scenes are a real film heritage , both for their originality in the field of horror , but especially for the skill with which they are filmed.
Excellent editing, deliberately confusing and perfectly collimated to fresh and grotesque screenplay , and directed by Miike , which shows no particular technical virtuosity but really elegant .
As for the actors, while Nao Omori ( Ichi ) and Tadanobu Asano ( Kakihara ) interpreters are really excellent, the rest of the cast is not quite up .
Obviously, " Ichi The Killer" is not a film for all tastes , given its content highly controversial , so I strongly advise watching the impressionable . However, those who are fans of the genre should not miss this gem.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Aulbath

Mar 1, 2006

Completely over the top. Silly and sad. If you want anime-violence... go and watch Anime. If you want a good movie... watch something else. This one is lacking anything positive, and has to be one of the worst movies I have ever seen! I deeply regret believing the hype, and spending more Completely over the top. Silly and sad. If you want anime-violence... go and watch Anime. If you want a good movie... watch something else. This one is lacking anything positive, and has to be one of the worst movies I have ever seen! I deeply regret believing the hype, and spending more than 25 bucks on the really, really uncut DVD. And heck the violence sure is boring... cheap effects and wannabe-disturbing stuff like cutting off nipples from some poor girl isn't going to win my heart over either - if I am crazy you ask? Well, I would react on it, if it wouldn't be done by two idiots in dog-costumes. Seriously, Ichi is nothing but a big, bad, Rated-M joke that might only appeal to people who are a) very, very drunk or b) just love everything japanese because it's the hip thing to do. Characters remain sketchy till the end, and even the violence reaches it's peak long before the movie ends... so, why would you want to even watch the whole thing? Gripping story - no. Interesting characters - no. Anything else - not really. Do yourself and have it in the background on a party or something, but don't repeat my mistake trying to find greatness in this movie. You will just realize that it is really THAT bad. If you want asian crap that is actually fun, go and watch Rikki-Oh / Story of Ricky, which is by all means an awesome movie!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

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