Ichi the Killer | Rotten Tomatoes (2025)

63% Tomatometer 38 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings

A bloodthirsty hoodlum (Tadanobu Asano) sparks a series of violent reprisals after his boss is apparently taken by a mysterious assassin (Nao Ômori).

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Ichi the Killer

Ichi the Killer

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Critics Consensus

Ichi The Killer is a thoroughly shocking gorefest that will surely entertain those with strong stomachs and a penchant for brutal violence.

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Critics Reviews

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Ichi the Killer | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Tanner Tafelski Village Voice 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. Nov 9, 2017 Full Review Ichi the Killer | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Chuck Bowen Slant Magazine 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. Rated: 3.5/4 Nov 5, 2017 Full Review Ichi the Killer | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Dennis Harvey Variety Even hardy gonzo-cinema auds will likely find the hectic pace overstimulating to the point of numbed-out tedium. Aug 8, 2008 Full Review Ichi the Killer | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand Miike’s twisted gangster tale, adapted from the manga by Hideo Yamamoto, is the Niagara Falls of gushing blood cinema, a depraved, demented exercise in excess. Jan 7, 2023 Full Review Ichi the Killer | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Panos Kotzathanasis Asian Movie Pulse "Ichi the Killer" is a must-watch for all fans of cult cinema, a true ode to violence and the soon arriving edition by WellGo USA is definitely the best edition of the film out there. Oct 20, 2019 Full Review Ichi the Killer | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Jeff Beck The Blu Spot Takashi Miike's Ichi the Killer suffers from a heavily-meandering storyline, resulting in a tedious and stretched-out film that marks a low point in the director's incredible career. Rated: 2/5 Mar 19, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Liam D While not a very subtle film. Director Takashi Miike‘a gleeful anarchy makes it a must watch for fans of his filmography Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/14/24 Full Review Sams K This one's crazy! Sex, violence and drama. Stunning! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/23/24 Full Review Anderson O If you thought James Gunn was something with the Suicide Squad, ICHI the Killer makes that look like middle school. I heard that a Barf bag was given to audiences at a Major film festival before the movie premiere, and most people either threw up or fainted. This was a difficult one to stomach despit a solid screenplay. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/01/24 Full Review slow367 I personally prefer the manga, but that was obvious considering that this Movie was made in the early 2000s with special effects not really on the same level that they are today. Even with that in mind, the guy that was cut in half, like a nice english steak was just not to be taken seriously. It however still gets points for the sparkling, sequinned, translucent, pink dress shirt, that kinda looked like a bird shat on it, which Kakihara was wearing in the last part. Supreme costume choice , I was greatly amused, the designer deserves an oscar. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 12/30/23 Full Review Robson C Anjo, o chefe de uma facção da máfia japonesa, desaparece com 3 milhões de yenes. O seu braço direito, o sadomasoquista Kakihara, assume as buscas. Porém os seus métodos violentos acabam fazendo com que ele entre em conflito com os seus superiores e seja expulso da organização. Porém, surge o nome do responsável por tudo, Ichi, um assassino tão mortal quanto perturbado, manipulado por um bandido chamado Jijii. O filme é graficamente e visualmente muito violento, com certas cenas que denunciam a sua origem nos mangás. Os seus personagens estão todos a um passo da loucura e fogem completamente do padrão ocidental. A maior prova é o Kakihara, muito bem interpretado por Tadanobu Asano, que passa muito bem o tom sádico do seu personagem. Ao mesmo tempo que mantém uma certa serenidade, o seu interior é um caos completo. Como o filme abusa da violência, alguns efeitos visuais envelheceram mal, mas continuam mantendo o tom de gore. Considero a duração do filme excessiva, o que acaba criando uma barriga no meio e enchem a história de outras subtramas que considero desnecessárias. O assassino Ichi (que não é a capa do filme, que é o Kakihara) é totalmente perturbado. Pode ser considerado um contraponto a Kakihara, pois, apesar da loucura dos dois, o gansgter ainda mantém sua frieza, enquanto comete as piores ações. Não é um filme fácil para a maioria das pessoas devido as suas cenas violentas, que de tão estilizadas, podem se tornar cômicas, como quando se cortam os pescoços das pessoas e o sangue jorra como um cano arrebentado. Como comparação, Kill Bill e O Albergue podem ser considerados mais leves. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/11/23 Full Review Joshua H A ruthless bloodbath where no one is safe, ichi is a great watch for fans of extreme violence and dark heavy subjects. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Takashi Miike Director Tadanobu Asano Kakihara Nao Ômori Ichi Shin'ya Tsukamoto Jijii Paulyn Sun Karen Sabu Suzuki
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Ichi the Killer

A scene from "Ichi the Killer." A scene from "Ichi the Killer." A scene from "Ichi the Killer." A scene from "Ichi the Killer." Nao Ômori as Ichi in ICHI THE KILLER. View more photos

Synopsis A bloodthirsty hoodlum (Tadanobu Asano) sparks a series of violent reprisals after his boss is apparently taken by a mysterious assassin (Nao Ômori).

Director
Takashi Miike

Producer
Akiko Funatsu, Dai Miyazaki

Screenwriter
Hideo Yamamoto, Sakichi Satô

Distributor
Prénom H Co. Ltd., Emperor Multimedia Group (EMG) [hk], Media Blasters

Production Co
Spike Co. Ltd., Emperor Multimedia Group (EMG) [hk], Omega Project, Omega Micott Inc, Star Max, Excellent Film, Alpha Group

Rating
R (Language|Gore|Drug Content|Sexuality|Strong Pervasive Violence)

Genre
Crime, Drama

Original Language
Japanese

Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 22, 2001, Original

Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 20, 2018

Runtime
2h 8m

Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Dolby SR

Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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