Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on September 2012

Director Toshiaki Toyoda is among the most frustrating of the new director generation. Now 43, he debuted in 1999 with the visually inventive Porno Star. But though his next pic Aoi Haru (Blue Spring, 2001) thrilled the fanboys, it was ultra-violent high-school bunk. Finally in 2005 he delivered a fine work in Kuchu Teien (Hanging Garden), an insightful portrayal of the modern Japanese family. But he screwed up by getting busted for drugs before the opening. Yomigaeri no Chi (The Blood of Rebirth; 2009) was a fascinating if poorly executed trip through the underworld, while last year’s disturbing Monster’s Club promised a return to form.

The present film, named after a Japanese rock song, mirrors his career. It starts out promisingly with a motorcyclist making a simple trip to the store. Zooming in the other direction is a BMW. After the death of the biker, the car driver Rui (Tatsuya Fujiwara), leader of a cult founded by his grandfather, fears retributive violence for his manslaughter. He hires three bodyguards and tries to shut down the cult.

Absurd family machinations, boring gangster clichés and a ridiculous backstory alternate in this simply awful film. (91 min)