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Demon City

Play trailer Poster for Demon City 2025 1h 46m Action Adventure Fantasy Crime Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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50% Tomatometer 10 Reviews 49% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Framed for his family's murder and left for dead, an ex-hitman will stop at nothing to exact revenge on the masked "demons" who have taken over his city.
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Demon City

Critics Reviews

View All (10) Critics Reviews
David Ehrlich IndieWire A fun Japanese action film that adds exactly nothing to the “retired hitman seeks revenge” sub-genre and has a decent time doing it. Rated: C+ Feb 27, 2025 Full Review Panos Kotzathanasis Asian Movie Pulse In the end, however, “Demon City” is just another Netflix Japanese actioner, in the path of “Baby Assassins” and “The Fable” (without the comedy though) and definitely on a lower level than the aforementioned. Rated: 4 Mar 16, 2025 Full Review Christopher Cross Asynchronous Media A boilerplate revenge tale told between bursts of ultraviolence, Tanaka’s latest film sacrifices strong characters and nuanced storytelling for something unremarkably brutal. Rated: 2.5/5 Mar 5, 2025 Full Review Johnny Loftus Decider Ikuta is mostly on mute as Sakata, but Demon City wasn’t gonna trade on its screenplay, anyway. It’s the fighting and bloodshed that’s the draw here. Mar 4, 2025 Full Review JK Sooja Common Sense Media Unfortunately, this movie is a bit of a mess. Mar 4, 2025 Full Review Brent McKnight The Last Thing I See Does 'Demon City' have much in the way of nuance, depth, or character development? No. It’s extremely sparse on those fronts. What it does have, however, are plenty of bonkers, bloody fight scenes and awesome action choreography. Rated: C+ Mar 3, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (25) audience reviews
Jonathan O This movie is based on a manga but really great action choreograph and the stunts felt like from 87 studios but the story is fine but no characters development and the pacing felt rushed and the performance are good but needs more characters development. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/27/25 Full Review Q A Everything feels a little bit weird. From the fight scenes to character portrayal, it feels off. Some fight scenes are good, but a lot of the acting feels way over the top and embellished. Meh/10 Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/26/25 Full Review Robert A How do a little girl not remember her own dad face it’s just stupid I can see her being taken as a baby but this little girl girl don’t even have flashbacks even if she lost her memory u would have flashbacks or something to remember it’s like this girl protecting someone else stupid to me Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/20/25 Full Review Arnel A Sakata should be dead already. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/16/25 Full Review James M If you're okay with extreme violence, it's a great Japanese thriller. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/16/25 Full Review Papawee N After watching Demon City, I have mixed feelings about the film. On one hand, it delivers intense action, a dark and gritty atmosphere, and an intriguing theme of vengeance turning a man into something monstrous. On the other hand, it struggles with character depth, predictable storytelling, and some low-budget elements that occasionally pull me out of the experience. The story follows Sakata, a legendary assassin who has long since left his violent past behind. But just as he is about to settle down with his wife and child, a group of masked killers brutally destroys his life, leaving him in a coma for 12 years. When he wakes up, he finds himself in a city even more corrupt and decayed than before. With nothing left to lose, he embarks on a bloody mission to take down the five assassins responsible for his suffering. The film is built on classic revenge tropes—loss, transformation, and relentless pursuit of justice. What makes Demon City stand out is how it suggests that Sakata’s need for revenge slowly turns him into something inhuman. The city itself plays a big role in this transformation. It’s a place where evil never really dies, where violence comes in cycles, and where justice seems like an illusion. In a way, Sakata is not just fighting his enemies but also becoming a part of the darkness he despises. The action sequences are definitely the highlight of Demon City. Sakata doesn’t just fight—he demolishes anyone who stands in his way. His fighting style is brutal, relentless, and almost supernatural at times. While this makes for some exciting moments, it also makes him feel invincible, which lowers the tension. If he can take so much damage and keep going without struggle, it’s hard to feel worried about his fate. Visually, the film leans heavily into a dark and moody aesthetic. The city feels lifeless and dangerous, filled with shadows and neon lights that create a dystopian feel. This atmosphere helps reinforce the film’s themes, but at times, the sets and props feel a little cheap. Some of the action scenes also suffer from this—certain punches and weapon effects don’t land as well as they should, making some fights feel less impactful. Sakata himself is an interesting protagonist because of his transformation from a broken man into a force of nature. However, the film doesn’t do much to explore his emotions beyond his thirst for revenge. We don’t get to see him truly process his grief or struggle with his choices. As a result, he feels more like a machine than a person. The villains are another weak point. The five assassins who ruined Sakata’s life barely have any depth—they’re just obstacles for him to kill one by one. The film doesn’t give them any unique personalities or motivations, which is a shame because good antagonists could have made the story much more engaging. Overall, Demon City is a fun, action-packed revenge thriller, but it doesn’t offer much beyond that. The fights are entertaining, and the dark atmosphere adds to the experience, but the lack of character depth and predictable story keep it from being truly great. If you’re looking for a simple, violent movie with some cool fight scenes, it’s worth a watch. But if you want something deeper and more thought-provoking, it might leave you disappointed. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/10/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Demon City

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Movie Info

Synopsis Framed for his family's murder and left for dead, an ex-hitman will stop at nothing to exact revenge on the masked "demons" who have taken over his city.
Director
Seiji Tanaka
Screenwriter
Seiji Tanaka, Masamichi Kawabe
Distributor
Netflix
Genre
Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 27, 2025
Runtime
1h 46m
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