Movie Poster

You just have to fight for yourself; no one's going to save you. That's just life, right?

# Review

This is an incredibly controversial movie as it features a group of ninth grade students tasked with killing one another on an island with various tools and weapons. The students are promised that the winner of the game will be allowed to live. The class size is Japanese (40+ students) so one can imagine the bloodbath that ensues.

Honestly, the story is grotesque by Western standards but not the craziest I’ve seen from Japan. The film itself is decent. Most of the characters felt like extras but there were some notable roles, namely the iconic Tatsuya Fujiwara as Shuya Nanahara and the prolific Chiaki Kuriyama as Takako Chigusa. The film features several subplots depicting the actions of the different students within the game.

Aiming to shock the audience, the film is extremely violent and gruesome which I did not care much for, especially given that many of the effects feel dated. I did find the commentary on Japanese youth and their relationship to authority interesting though.

# Conclusion

A cult favourite but not my cup of tea.

# Overall rating: 7.0

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