User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 39 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 39
  2. Negative: 2 out of 39

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  1. May 20, 2012
    Bland. Boring. The manga is perverse and extreme, which is not necessarily a "good" thing. I find Miike's general style is interesting because it doesn't adhere to certain cinematic rules, but his narrative doesn't captivate or hold gravitas. It doesn't feel like an aesthetic or anti-aesthetic, but rides right down the middle like a dull Goldilocks. Only his use of extreme violence and taboo themes make the fanboys feel like they're counter culture. In two words, over rated. But he's certainly grown as a film maker to some degree over the years. His use of color is also fascinating. Love hate. Collapse
  2. 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.
  3. SavenQ.
    Jan 10, 2009
    One of Takashi Miike's best. Styilsh, colorful, violent, funny and different.
  4. 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 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
  5. AndrewS.
    Nov 10, 2006
    Miike's masterpiece... you could tell he really enjoyed making this.
  6. KenyanM.
    May 18, 2006
    this movie was excellent simply for the frantic filming style, and the transition from horror to comedy.
  7. KennethM.
    May 17, 2006
    I felt that Ichi the Killer was a powerful poke at the consumption of slasher flicks (Like Saw [Came much later, I know, I know]) for the single purpose of self amusment, and on desensitization through film.
  8. 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 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
  9. 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 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
  10. Mr.Gray
    Aug 12, 2005
    I love Ichi the killer.
  11. JonC.
    Aug 1, 2005
    Wow this was the first takashi miike movie i saw and after watching this movie i started to grasp his visual flare on movie-making. this movie, along with several other of his such as, gozu, audition, deadly outlaw rekka are the greatest weird japanese movies made. takashi miike is and will be at the top of my list for directors for a long time!!! buy this movie now or suffer from not seeing grade A japanese horror. Expand
  12. IchiThePacifist
    Jul 1, 2005
    Tadanobu Asano--Japan's current "IT" boy--converts this seemingly violent gore-fest-for-the-sake of a gore-fest into a fascinating S&M flick. Asano's quest throughout the movie turns this psychotic-killer/mayhem narrative into a quest narrative--and despite myself, I found myself wanting Asano to "meet his match"--NOT for some moral vindication but because Asano so convincingly demonstrates what he needs in order to live. This movie is not for the faint-hearted. If you are used to stylized violence from Hollywood movies, sit down to watch this movie with a barf bag ready. The violence is relentless and brutal. There are extremely disturbing rape scenes, mutilations, torture, and murder. If you can stomach all that--watch the movie, really, for its heart. There is one, I promise, however bruised and dripping in blood it may be. Expand
  13. GoreW.
    Apr 21, 2005
    Absolutely stunning. An awesome movie with the greatest voilence since cannibal holocaust.
  14. CharlesC.
    Apr 12, 2005
    An unusual and unsuspecting surprize.
  15. NinjaMafia
    Jul 18, 2004
    If I were to have a list of the most surprising movies ever, Ichi the Killer would be at the top of the list. While I kept on hearing about this movie, I kept on thinking that it would have no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I was proven wrong. The story is about a yakuza boss that gets kidnapped and the sado-masochistic Kakihara goes through extreme measures to try to find him. When he figures out he was killed by a man named Ichi, he becomes obsessed with this mass murderer. It's not really the storyline that's gripping about the movie, but the sick and twisted characters that are totally interesting and engrossing. Sure the movie is disturbing on several levels, but if you can look past all the violence, you will find a deep, if wtill somewhat disturbing movie. Expand
  16. [Anonymous]
    Jun 7, 2004
    Absolutely great!
  17. [Anonymous]
    Nov 24, 2003
    Frenetic pace of murder and mayhem. Lots of fun, just don't expect to get much else out of it.
  18. MatoV.
    May 29, 2003
    Go Ichi Go!

Mixed or average reviews - based on 8 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 8
  2. Negative: 1 out of 8
  1. 60
    Takashi knows how to make a great, sleazy Yakuza film, but what I’m missing here is that sense of something brand new.
  2. 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.
  3. 50
    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.