Ichi the Killer
Seen it?2001 | 129 min | Action, Crime, Horror
Weeknight WatchWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
With a box office loss, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime fans, horror fans and action fans. If you loved Kill Bill: Vol. 1, start here.
- The mood
- Scary and gory, gritty.
- The pace
- Fast-moving, at 2 hr 9 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
As sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsSolid
65% on Rotten Tomatoes, 55 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.0 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$81K worldwide on a $1 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 188K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
Ninja: Shadow of a Tear
Sunday Safe BetAnother drug-world action film, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1
Friday Night FlickAnother much-loved action film.
Crying Freeman Weeknight WatchAnother hitman action film, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
Strange Darling Sunday Safe BetAnother crime story, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
Mandy Sunday Safe BetAnother action film, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks
Cast & crew
Directed by Takashi Miike
- Tadanobu AsanoKakihara
- Nao OmoriIchi
- Shinya TsukamotoJijii
- SabuKaneko
- Paulyn SunKaren
- Susumu TerajimaSuzuki
- Shun SugataTakayama
- Toru TezukaFujiwara
- Yoshiki ArizonoNakazawa
- Kiyohiko ShibukawaRyu Long