Reviews from Japan

Superlative - everyone should see this

Great, a must-see if you like the genre

Good, a decent example of the genre

Watchable, but only for serious genre fans

Unwatchable

Half stars could have gone either way depending on mood.

Movie Name / Release Year	Summary	Date	Reviewer
Hana-Bi (1997)	Close to cinematic perfection	2021-08-10	Simon
Swallowtail Butterfly (1996)	One of the greatest movies ever made?	2002-03-17	Simon
Rainy Dog (1997)	One of Miike's strongest and most well balanced films.	2002-12-13	Simon
Ichi The Killer (2001)	A dazzlingly unique and creative movie	2012-05-22	Simon
Deadly Outlaw: Rekka (2002)	Absurd and poetic	2022-06-07	Simon
Why Don't You Play in Hell? (2013)	Sion Sono doing his best Takashi Miike impression	2020-09-14	Simon
Boiling Point (1990)	Stylish and whimsical	2020-07-24	Simon
Sonatine (1993)	Beautifully meditative take on the yakuza film	2013-12-15	Simon
City Of Lost Souls (2000)	Best use of CGI in a movie ever!	2001-10-13	Simon
Sharkskin Man and Peach Hip Girl (1998)	Clever, funny and well-made	2002-03-17	Simon
Blues Harp (1998)	A subtle and complex work	2021-08-24	Simon
Gozu (2003)	Wonderful creativity	2004-06-05	Simon
Dead Or Alive 2: Birds (2000)	Another great movie from Takashi Miike	2002-06-27	Simon
Shinjuku Triad Society (1995)	A distinctive early Miike outing	2021-08-03	Simon
Dangan Runner (1996)	Absurdity becomes transcendence	2021-03-11	Simon
Like A Dragon (2007)	Miike finds another fresh way to take on the Yakuza genre	2012-12-05	Simon
Black Cat's Revenge (1970)	Intriguing mix of styles and moods	2006-08-13	Simon
Fudoh (1996)	Hilariously transgressive	2002-03-17	Simon
Female Yakuza Tale (1973)	...read review...	2012-05-21	Simon
Full Metal Yakuza (1997)	Super-cheap but gleefully twisted and inventive	2002-12-03	Simon
The Violence Action (2022)	You won't forget you've watched it	2022-12-12	Simon
Graveyard of Honour (Fukasaku) (1975)	A reminder that Yakuza are generally not nice people	2021-10-03	Simon
Yakuza Apocalypse (2015)	Something of a return to form for Miike	2021-07-24	Simon
Unlucky Monkey (1998)	Crime and punishment	2021-03-15	Simon
Yakuza Deka II (1970)	Exceedingly silly	2005-09-28	Simon
Yakuza Deka (1970)	Fun 70's camp	2005-09-28	Simon
Graveyard Of Honour (Miike) (2002)	I'd hoped for something more	2003-03-15	Simon
Crows Explode (2014)	A slight improvement	2022-11-28	Simon
Graveyard Of Honour (Miike) (2002)	Less interesting than Fukasaku's original	2021-10-05	Simon
High & Low The Movie 2: End of Sky (2017)	More posing and fighting	2020-12-12	Simon