I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

As I scroll through reviews, it seems like Suicide Club is either pointless tripe or touted genius. In my opinion, the movie is what you make of it.Expected from the title, some horror fans will delight in the overt use of violent visuals. It sets this example within the first couple minutes of the film, showing an overwhelming amount of blood filling a Japanese train station; the byproduct of fifty-four young girls clasping hands and jumping in front of an oncoming train. For people with a strong stomach and a keen interest in bloody portraits, Suicide Club definitely doesn't fail in that department. But while I was enjoying this part of the film, I noticed that the further the plot developed, the more questions I began asking. Unfortunately, most were left unanswered (as the movie is quite ambiguous that way) and turned into theories, but I believe this is where the genius of the film comes into play.Sion Sono is making a point about Japanese society, especially as it pertains to suicidal ideation and pop culture. There are points throughout the film where the plot becomes lucid, expounding upon the ideas that went into the film from the director himself but cutting itself off just short of the point. Suicide Club isn't in the business of feeding you answers because it seeks to motivate you. It desperately pines after your thoughts, theories, and questions. It forces you to reply to those yourself without being coddled by the story. In this regard, this is why Suicide Club is something that I would consider a masterpiece. Everyone will come out of the movie with their own ideas about what it all connects to. This is partially why the reviews are love-hate since many believe there is no meaning - and that's fine too.If you are seeking a movie that will sate your need for gore, you've found the right one. Just be wary about the depth of this movie, as I think you might be disappointed afterward if you are not actively participating. In other words, you may not find this movie quite worth your time if you're not willing to put in the effort to understand it. The plot continues to thicken as the movie carries on, creating an ending that never delivers the full-circle satisfaction of most movies nowadays. Characters appear constantly without anything explaining their existence plainly - and with progression for those characters just as obscure, you're likely to feel a bit let down with this title if you're looking for a little mindless fun.Regardless, I think Suicide Club is a great watch. The carnage that ensues throughout the film is engaging and different, making every scene feel like pins and needles until the death arrives. The plot is thick with references, nuance, and metaphors; which might excite anyone looking to trade theories on the meaning of the film. The character progression leaves a lot to be desired, but the vagueness of these people is almost needed to amplify the underlying point the film is trying to motivate you to figure out. Honestly, I stepped out of Suicide Club with a great ton of enjoyment. As this will become my first foray into the wonders of Japanese horror, I'm glad this was the movie that christened that.

Just want to say as different as this film is Sono is human and could've made a mistake and didn't explain some things, using "interpretation" to justify some potential holes, or to provide a disclaimer to the film being a negative influence. The only two reasons I can't give the two extra stars and give this an 8/10.Anyway for non-Japanese, apparently there are scenes with chicks running around is symbolism for death, and the color yellow is symbolism for bravery.Well, some simple people accused the film of being stupid because, "why would they just kill themselves?!" Firstly, Japan has a killer (excuse the pun) suicide rate/seppuku is seen as honourable while still also taboo. After all many samurai for example committed seppuku when the chips had fallen. So people doing this in modern time is seen as understandable but a horrible choice, also very sad.Well in this film there are how many suicides we actually witness? OK (this won't be going in exact order, it's from my memory): 1. the group of girls in the beginning with the beautiful score playing in the background, before they jump off the tracks 2. Then the boyfriend of the girl in the film poster 3. Then the group of school children off the building roof 4. Then the mother chops herself to pieces with a smile 5. Comedians slash their necks in front of the audience 6. Spoken word poets I assume they were hang themselves 7. A chef swallows pills 8. A lady suffocates herself or something 9. A detective's children and wife I assume 10. A nurse 11. A woman holding a sign calling people to kill themselves 12. A sociopath says he took to the internet to get people who joined to kill themselves, and so Bat calls and tells the police about them, so then people might switch and say, "OK it's not paranormal. It's a cult. Like the title implies." 13. Anyone else I missed out doesn't matter but is included in this interpretation: OK so these suicides make people think they're all killing themselves because they're all linked in this cult to do so, and there's some mysterious, probably paranormal force summoning or a charismatic leader brainwashing them to do so, right? If that were the case every suicide would probably iconically be the same, I'd think, as were those tattoos. That's the only thing I don't get based on my interpretation. What is the chain of human skin with all the tattoos? Who were the tattooed people? It's probably more symbolism. But the girl at the end got the tattoo and is still alive, she just gave skin. So the skin is irrelevant to the suicides. And the tats aren't symbols of a cult like when gangs get matching tattoos lol Well my interpretation of the other suicides is that these suicides have nothing to do with a club; that was just Sono being tricky. The beginning with the security guard screaming as the power goes out was to falsely foreshadow a demonic presence. This isn't Pulse, another Japanese horror, where there is a supernatural force convincing people to kill themselves! The weird glam rock dude at the end kidnapped people and killed them; they are irrelevant to the suicides and the tats.The two different groups of schoolgirls and children: they killed themselves because of peer pressure and mindless obsession with trendsThe boyfriend was not connected to himselfThese following suicides all happened together in an adrenaline rushing montage. So it makes people think, "yes the cult is getting out of control and suicide is now an epidemic threatening Japanese humanity for inexplicable but soon to come reasons!" -The mother chopping herself to bits could be because she's a bored and unsatisfied housewife, and she was smiling content with her choice. No other people committing suicide were smiling in this film. Because they all did for separate reasons.-The comedians could just be too dedicated to their role of surprising people and also could be dealing with issues offstage. Their suicide was very dramatic.-The lady was by herself in her kitchen depressed and suffocated herself. That's not an easy way to go. It also has nothing to do with the other people, obviously.-The chef was staring into space at a food truck he runs. Easy to see why he would kill himself to be honest.-The lady standing around scantily clad holding a sign, I mean she might just be loopy.-The female spoken word poets are just being different, or it was staged as part of a performance they were doing.-The nurse seemed pretty done with life. Plus being a nurse and a young female doing standard work in Japan, at night, might be unfulfilling as well as jading when she's around sickness and death all day. Her smiling before she kills herself (not while she kills herself, like the mother) shows serious depression and disassocation as she goes along with a burdening routine.There's also a girl group who all along had a subliminal message (although, realistically, impossible to notice). The children are enigmas or something I suppose. They ask if people are connected. If you say, yes, if I remember properly, you get to have your skin removed and attached to a chain, symbolising connection. If you fail I suppose you can think about how DISconnected to yourself you are, and then you kill yourself as the boyfriend and detective did. So it is creepy in that sense.But this has nothing to do with a suicide club. When I saw its sequel, Noriko's Table and a scene confirmed this I had a huge "OH!" moment, though the film up to that point was hard to sit through because it was so saturated with narration and uneventful images (yet fulfilling for intellectual exercise).

The movie starts off in a relatively typical gruesome gory Japanese style and promises to be an interesting investigative thriller. However as soon as you've seen the 50-odd schoolgirls voluntarily jump to their deaths, you're greeted with footage that makes it blindingly obvious what's behind the whole thing. So that's the whole thriller aspect of the movie gone within the first 5-6 minutes and you might as well stop watching then, because nearly all further events contribute nothing more than vague symbolism and gore and stick out as some kind of agenda the movie is trying to desperately push. The story is illogical, none of the events seem plausible even in it's own universe with extremely persuasive cryptic children, it never really goes anywhere with the plot and then just ends for no reason.Having read some of the other reviews that claim this movie is some kind of masterpiece of social commentary, I have to say that just because a movie tries to address issues in society does not make it good by default.

Japan is in trouble. Bunches of youth are in a suicidal mood. They jump before trains and they even jump from buildings and that's exactly what we see here in this flick with a message.For a Japanese horror it is low on gore but it's full of sputtering blood. Just watch the opening sequence with the girls jumping before a passing train. The red stuff flies through the air against the train itself and the commuters standing on the platform. We even see people jumping from the roof at a school and it also has a bit of black comedy like when an ear is hanging on the wall from where one jumped to death. A strange flick that you will like or dislike if you don't get the message. Not a typical horror for the lovers of Japanese flicks. I did try not to spoil anything, go figure it out yourself if you really understand this flick.Gore 1/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 2/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5