First Love
Japan’s most prolific director Takashi Miike (Blade of the Immortal, Audition, 13 Assassins) returns with his 103rd film - a thrilling True Romance-esqe crime thriller set over one night in Tokyo. Rising star young boxer Leo (Masataka Kubota) gets caught up in a gang war when he meets Yuri (Sakurako Konishi), a young woman sold into prostitution who’s suspected of stealing her pimp’s drugs. Featuring yakuza double crossing, samurai swords and car chases, First Love is a thrilling genre-bending all nighter.
★★★★ “A darkly funny yakuza thriller” - Robbie Collin, The Telegraph
★★★★ “It’s bizarre and very unwholesome. But weirdly inspired.” - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
★★★★ “It’s a vibrant ode to life, teeming with death. It’s a crowd-pleaser too, just as long as that particular crowd is baying for blood.” - Alex Godfrey, Empire