First Love

Directed by Takashi Miike

Those familiar with the wild genre masterclasses of Audition and Ichi the Killer will feel right at home in this anarchic, full-throttle joyride spanning a single night in Tokyo. Young boxer Leo (Kubota) has just learnt he has a brain tumour when he encounters Monica (Konishi), a call girl in deep with drugs and the Yakuza. With the criminal underworld imploding due to ferocious in-fighting, these new lovers get caught in the crossfire. Amid the bloodbath, the prolific Miike’s blackly comic touches and unexpected stylistic quirks deliver at high velocity.

Duration:
108 minutes

Translated title:
Hatsukoi

Languages:
Japanese

Subtitles:
Full English

Country of origin:
Great Britain and Japan

Year of production:
2019