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Killing

Play trailer Poster for Killing 2018 1h 20m Action Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 56% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Set during the tumultuous mid-19th century Edo period of Japan, "Killing" is the story of a masterless samurai or ronin named Ikematsu Sosuke.

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Killing

Critics Reviews

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Grant Watson Fiction Machine 04/22/2023
8/10
Here the immediacy makes this period of Japanese history come to life in a way I honestly have not seen before. Go to Full Review Panos Kotzathanasis Asian Movie Pulse 12/01/2019
"Killing" presents an impressive combination of meaningfulness and aesthetics that results in one of the best films of the year, and a truly worthy entry to the samurai genre, through its extreme, but quite realistic approach to the whole concept. Go to Full Review Elena Lazic Seventh Row 08/21/2019
In stripping the samurai film back to its main components and placing it into a realistic setting, Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto crafts a potent and thrilling critique of violence and the traditions that justify it. Go to Full Review Nathanael Hood Unseen Films 07/22/2019
7/10
...a decidedly minor key film in [Tsukamoto's] oeuvre that's nevertheless equally as nihilistic and nasty as anything he's ever directed. Go to Full Review Carlos Bonfil La Jornada 07/09/2019
Elegantly, (Shin'ya) Tsukamoto leaves the door open to interpretations, something that is naturally appropriate for Killing's undeniable condition of a modern classic. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Danielle Burgos Screen Slate 03/02/2019
It wouldn't be a Tsukamoto film without entangled brutality and sexuality, frustrations taken out in furtive masturbation, physical assault as lust, and other attacks on the flesh. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Greg J Jan 12 This felt like a pretentious student film-maker decided to bring one of his favorite overly sexualized anime series to life. It forces the story to progress with overly shaky handheld montages instead of dialogue or anything meaningful. Skip this and watch Twilight Samurai if you're looking for a realistic samurai slice of life film. p.s. not kidding about the overly sexualized part. There's a scene of the male character masturbating for some reason. Also a scene with the male character choking the female character through a wall after she sucks/bites his finger. And a scene where a female character's face is fully covered in saliva. All of this felt extremely unnecessary. See more Read all reviews
Killing

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Cast & Crew

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Shin'ya Tsukamoto

Director

Sôsuke Ikematsu

Mokunoshin Tsuzuki

Yû Aoi

Yu

Tatsuya Nakamura

Sezaemon Genda

Ryusei Maeda

Ichisuke

Shin'ya Tsukamoto

Jirozaemon Sawamura
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Killing

Killing (2018) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Set during the tumultuous mid-19th century Edo period of Japan, "Killing" is the story of a masterless samurai or ronin named Ikematsu Sosuke.
Director
Shin'ya Tsukamoto
Producer
Shin'ya Tsukamoto
Screenwriter
Shin'ya Tsukamoto
Production Co
Kaijyu Theater
Genre
Action, Drama
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 2, 2021
Runtime
1h 20m
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