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Izo
イゾー
2004 128 min Japan 18+
★5.8
Action, Drama, Fantasy
Director: Takashi Miike
Trailers
Description
Izo is an assassin in the service of a Tosa lord and Imperial supporter. After killing dozens of the Shogun's men, Izo is captured and crucified. Instead of being extinguished, his rage propels him through the space-time continuum to present-day Tokyo. Here Izo transforms himself into a new, improved killing machine.
Starring
Kazuya Nakayama
Actor
Kaori Momoi
Actor
Ryûhei Matsuda
Actor
Awards
1 win & 3 nominations
Key opinion
Izo is a polarizing, avant-garde exploration of nihilism and existential rage that abandons traditional narrative structure in favor of repetitive, visceral violence. While some viewers find it an unpolished and incoherent mess, others praise it as a profound, philosophically dense work that pushes the boundaries of cinematic expression.
| Originality | The film functions as a bold, avant-garde experiment that prioritizes philosophical exploration and mythic symbolism over conventional narrative logic. | |
| Theme | The repetitive cycles of bloodshed and the protagonist's journey serve as a deliberate metaphor for the struggle against god and the absurdity of existence. | |
| Cinematography | Opinions on the cinematography and action sequences are divided; some praise the raw, artistic, and 'violently beautiful' aesthetic, while others criticize the technical execution as messy and poorly filmed. | |
| Acting | The performance of Kazuya Nakayama as the immortal, vengeful spirit is viewed by some as majestic and terrifying, yet others find the acting across the film to be vague, grotesque, or unconvincing. | |
| Pacing | The film's relentless, cyclical pacing serves the existential message for some, but leaves others feeling that the lack of plot progression results in exhausting, repetitive spectacle. |