20 'Controversial' Movies Everyone Completely Over-Reacted To
8. Ichi The Killer
The Film:
A bonkers Japanese crime film by Takashi Miike, this is the ultra-violent and depraved story of a war between Yakuza gangs.
The Controversy:
The film's extremely gory violence and sexual violence have raised plenty of controversy. The film is banned in Malaysia, Norway and Germany. The version available in the UK is censored, with the many scenes of violence against women cut down.
Why It Was Wrong:
In terms of problematic and controversial films like this, people will often defend them as misunderstood classics. Ichi the Killer is not exception, and reviews have been mixed-to-positive overall amidst the criticism.
Ichi the Killer is one of the worst movies I have ever seen.
A migraine-inducing, plotless and soulless piece of trash, this is a terrible movie in every way. It's so cartoonish and stupid that it's rarely disturbing. The misogyny on display throughout the film is absolutely vile, making an already awful film even more un-watchable. That the only part of the film worthy of controversy, yet everyone always seems to focus on the gore. Once again, always focusing on the wrong stuff.
This shouldn't be seen as shocking. It should be seen as the juvenile showcase of filmmakers trying to be extreme as possible that it is. It's not only an awful film, but it's one which literally says absolutely nothing to its audience and exists only to shock, which it doesn't even properly do. A more worthless film is hard to imagine.