Good concept, poorly executed.

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

I read some of the other reviews, I've just watched it on Shudder and I thought there was a lot of (admittedly very dry and dark) humour; some characters do very very unpleasant things (I really don't think this is a spoiler) but I found myself laughing as well as wincing during the 2 hours of this film. (Having said that, I did pause the film about a half-hour in, turned the lights back on and watched 10 minutes of the Golf Open highlights on BBC2 just to have a little break from some of the unremitting bleakness).Plenty of synopses in other reviews, you've already read at least one.Beautifully filmed, loads of excellent visual loveliness amongst the brutality, soundtrack is very good and used to help identify the (frequent) flashbacks (nothing wrong with challenging the viewer to KEEP UP).If you like 'Old Boy', 'Bad Lieutenant' and 'Mad Detective' I think you will really enjoy this film. I did say enjoy. I thought it was excellent.

I had previously seen an earlier film helmed by Tetsuya Nakashima, namely Confessions (2010). I seem to remember that one dealt with some disturbing material involving high school kids. Well, this latest film from Nakashima also delves into these particular waters. In this one we have an older central character, a man who is an alcoholic, violent and a bad father. He is a former detective who is on the hunt for his missing daughter. As he progresses in his investigation, layer by layer he discovers more and more of his teenage daughter's horrendous double-life.This Japanese mystery-thriller was not unlike the South Korean film Oldboy (2003) with its complete absence of likable characters populating a world where every part of society is rotten. If anything, this movie is even more extreme in this regard. It's a very violent film, although its heavy stylization meant that the nastier elements are less disturbing overall. In truth the style that the film presents its story is possibly both its strength and its weakness. It is made up of rapid edits, with memories and present day occurrences being interwoven together. It is a bit full-on I have to say and thank heavens for the rewind button! It can be hard to follow if I am totally honest and you will need to be alert to keep up with this one. So I think the presentation can be a bit of an issue, however, it is also this very complex editing that ensures that the story is more compelling. Once you look back on it, the story has certain weaknesses, with an ultimate resolution to the mystery not necessarily being as interesting as the journey we take getting there. But the journey is interesting and dynamically told and, in fairness, I am sure this one would benefit from a re-watch given that there really is a lot going on. In addition to the relentless editing, there are also anime and comic-book graphics interspersed throughout, as well as twee Japanese schoolgirl material mixed in with disturbing and violent stuff; while there is a constant reference to 'Alice in Wonderland' with the idea of a girl falling down a hole that just keeps on going. It's a heady mix of ideas all things considered and I have to say that its ambitious presentation made this one a film well worth seeing.

This film was not at all what I expected, and I mean that in the best possible way. It's a 2014 Japanese crime/mystery film that really pulls the wool over your eyes at every possible turn. The story centers around a former detective now drunkard, Akikazu Fujishima, who years ago caught his wife cheating. After she left with their daughter, Kanako, he loses his job and spirals even further down. Years later Kanako goes missing and he must do everything he can to find her. Many secrets are revealed and almost every character turns out to not be quite who you think they may be. It's difficult to talk about the film without spoiling anything so I'll just leave it at that. Overall it's well written, well directed, and the story unfolds in a satisfying and creative way. Some scenes use too many quick cuts but it doesn't happen often enough to deter my enjoyment of the film. Fair warning though, as much as I've been hyping this film up it's NOT an uplifting story. If you're not into depressing stories then you should stay away. But if you're looking for a good crime/mystery and you don't mind that then this film is for you.

It is very violent. More than that, it is disturbing, depressing and desperate. We follows our protagonist, former detective and divorcée Akikazu Fujishima (Koji Yakusho) as he searches for his missing daughter Kanako (Nana Komatsu) and learns about her secret life. Through this search, different dark sides of the society emerges which make you antsy in your seat. The more we go along, the more disturbing and depressing the movie seems to portray. None of the characters are lovable. All the institutions: family, police, and schools are malfunctioning. The movie depicts a sick society which appears to be OK but is buried with lots of problems where people are betraying each other and families are and non-communicative and destructive.All characters are pathetic in different ways though they may not be innately devilish. Somehow something goes wrong and everything falls into this big chaos or trap where people do not know how to show their care or use the wrong way to show their love which end up causing more damage as they resort to violence and betrayal. A very sad movie that paints a tragic side of Japanese culture, or can it happen in any culture, regardless of economic development? People yearning for love, care, respect and recognition and identification, but what they meet is betrayal, ignorance, bullying, and violence. Very twisted characters and relationships that make you feel so disappointed and horrified with humanity. On the surface, or in the beginning, you see angels who seem to be your revelation. Kanako appears to be such an angel. But not until his cop father starts to look into her disappearance does he realize how much he understands/misunderstands his daughter, ditto his wife and vice versa. Similar misperception happens at school and in the police station. Perhaps it just serves as a warning sign to us all: in many ways the people around us could just be like that if we hit the wrong button. Look at all the random shootings in the US. And the terrorist attacks. We would not know when they will turn against us and we just have to constantly remind ourselves to be alert.Very good acting of the cast in creating a haunting atmosphere. I would not like to befriend with any of the characters.