Man was this a truly horrific masterpiece. It was so difficult to watch that I almost didn't. The story moves along and interests you with intrigue and then when it all comes to a head you are blown away by the visceral and raw horror of the situation that you have found yourself in. This is for hardened horror viewers only. This made me jump a few small times but that was nothing compared to the tough and brutal scenes of torture. Very good film for anyone who can stomach it. Not the scariest although one of the most savage.

One of Miike's subtlest and most nuanced films, most of which is obliterated in most discussions of the film by a focus on the outrageously gory climax. A widower decides to remarry and is lured into a plan by his friend ... they will stage a fake audition for an actress and he'll use this to find a prospective bride. He finds a young woman who meets all his criteria, but she comes with some mighty baggage. This film is often spoke of as if it's a straightforward revenge scenario ... this man pays the price for his sexist ways ... but it's really quite a bit subtler than that. In a way, it's really about a man who has disconnected from the world after his wife's death being forcibly reconnected to another person, partly due to his own callous misdeeds, but also due to her legitimate desire to connect with him on her own terms. So ... it's really kind of a love story.

Aoyama's wife dies at the hospital. He races his son all alone. When his son becomes a teenager, he asks if his father can re-marry. Aoyama consults this idea with his friend, but he was not sure how to find the "right" girl. The solution was an "Audition" for a fake movie. Aoyama was stuck upon a beautiful girl. He was so impressed by the girl. But, his friend was not quite happy, he felt that something is wrong with her. Aoyama promise to him that he will never call her again. But, can he keep his promise? The magical journey though surrealism is the highlight of the movie. It is difficult to define the margin of dream and reality.All horror film fans should watch this movie. Highly recommended.#KiduMovie

loved the concept, tolerated the so-so story, admired certain scenes and moments and the filming etc ... and there is no doubt its director CAN make watchable movies that many will applaud (as we can see by the so many positive reviews here too) but ...but i just had to quit watching it towards the end, about when the girl is alone in the room with the man, having her own ways with him ...maybe that was too much? dunno ... or maybe it's going to end much better than i expected? i doubt so 'cause the movie has finished off telling its entire story by then and left nothing to be desired unless one's into watching (and enjoying?) gore ... maybe i'll watch the rest later, maybe not ... after all, i'm not the only person who ''left the theater in the middle of the show'' when watching this movie ...back to the concept of the movie though, yes, it is a very important and sensitive issue the movie is addressing, and i am in full agreements with the writer of the story in pointing out today's emotionally troubled and "tortured" girls and women in highly advanced and materialistic societies, where art is for money and money's for the rich only, who may not care so much about the arts anyway ...only have one question here though: if badly treated women can treat potentially good men so harshly, then how would a badly treated man treat a potentially good woman? let's not forget: although "Women Are Always Right No Matter What!", we do however live in a time that many women cheat too, freely, openly, mercilessly, and at times even humiliating men to so high a degree one thinks maybe today's men are only the subjects of females historical revenge of males!? but there are quite a number of men who are cheated brutally by some women yet many of those men don't go around taking revenge on other women in such an unjust manner, do they? is the morale of this story then women are potentially more violent than men? i don't think so ...in the end, this movie is all about torture and violence and gore, and in a sick manner, unfortunately! from a really good start and rather good climax, it suddenly turns into a cheap gore movie the likes of which are so many around these days ... well, "these days" as of the 1990s and 1980s at least ... maybe this is a movie that ends that era? and tries to do it as most gracefully as possible? is it? i don't think so about that one either!that is why although i was going to mark this movie with a 10/10, i had to change my mind and gave it only 03/10 ... still would give the concept 10/10 anyway ...