'Cold Fish' is one of those films best enjoyed with minimal prior information. The level of 'intrigue' takes you for a ride with each passing sequence. The words/actions of the characters largely define their psychotic inner selves. This is a film where not a single central character arc is left unattended to; each possessing a differential level of eccentricity. Sion Sono succeeds in delivering the kind of twisted shocks one gets only by watching Asian cinema. Mitsuru Fukikoshi and Denden are indeed the spines of the film and they're quite capable in carrying almost the entire film on their shoulders. The gore is gratuitous, but never unaccounted for. The purpose of showcasing bloodshed and dismemberment in the screenplay is clear as ice; the director never shying away from throwing abhorrent shots in the face of the viewer, nevertheless with a definitive purpose. The chaos unravels quite slowly, although there's no looking back once it has commenced.The ambiance created for the gruesome slaughters is as bizarre as it can get (and oddly interesting to observe). A house located on top of a hill, candles lit up not in the manner you'd expect, colorful lights and the queer shades of Christian symbolism strewn across the place, all add to the sinister vibe of the film. The movie handles 'psychosis' and 'flawed human persona' in a very distinctive manner. The thrills escalate exponentially, albeit with a tinge of black humor (for those who can sense it!).Denden's Murata is one character that the audience will truly remember for his peculiar behavioral traits and outspoken temperament. The womenfolk have a substantial role to play in the film: the wifely interventions further raise the weirdness to another level with their questionable (sexual) gestures. Rape/sex is oft followed by murder, followed by deranged outbursts of psychotic bliss, in a vicious cycle of events. It takes quite a bit of discernment to assimilate the various subjects touched upon in the film (astronomy, aquatic life, psychosis & human behavior). The screenplay warrants exaggerated performances and by all means, they are. If 'Coldfish' goads you to evaluate your deepest darkest (inner) demons, then the film has evidently fulfilled its job. The Editing department though, could have done some chop-chop and made the film slightly crisper.Verdict: Shocks and contemplation - a weird combo!

Well made film actually, good acting, suspenseful, some cynicism and humor here and there. Some humor I could really appreciate as well. I found this film by using the tags 'underrated horror movie' in google. Is it underrated? Well, it's shocking. Most of all it's very, very bloody and violent. I suspect it's possible to get into a psychosis after watching this movie, if you're susceptible to it. If not, you will never forget this movie, at best. It's disturbing, not meaning to be realistic. I watched this with my wife and when our kids aged 16 and 17 came down from upstairs we stopped the movie to watch the rest later. It's not to be shown to kids, is my opinion. Does it have a message, is it art? I really couldn't tell. But yes, it's very disturbing, that I can tell you.

Director Shion Sono (known for "Noriko's Dinnertable" and "Suicide Club") has put together yet another odd, bizarre, yet entertaining movie with the filming of "Cold Fish" (aka "Tsumetai nettaigyo").While "Cold Fish" is not suitable to everyone, given its slow pace, contents of the story or just because it is Japanese. However, you should transcend these and sit down to watch "Cold Fish", because you are in for a very different type of movie.The story is about a small time seller of tropical fish named Nobuyuki who is given a chance to have his criminal daughter work at the biggest tropical fish store and he himself will have a chance to become business partners with Murata, the owner of the big store. However with opportunities comes a trade off...The storyline was odd, yes, but it worked out well enough despite the slow pace of the movie. I was thoroughly entertained by the story with its depravities, oddities, bizarreness and bloodiness.What really worked for "Cold Fish" was the all round phenomenal cast. The lead roles played by Misuru Fukikoshi (playing Nobuyuki) and Denden (playing Yukio Murata) were great actors and really carried the movie well. But the two female leads Megumi Kagurazaka (playing Taeko Syamoto) and Asuka Kurasawa (playing Aiko Murata) were phenomenal as well. A shame that the women didn't have more on-screen time though.The effects and gore, yes it has gore too, was actually quite good, despite it not being a focal point for the movie itself.If you enjoy Asian movies then you should most certainly sit down and treat yourself to some "Cold Fish".

Japanese people don't seem to know how to make ordinary dramas (really, Asian people for that matter). Everything tends toward the melodramatic and, in a lot of cases, hyper-violent and gory. However, for most of its run time, COLD FISH remains rather restrained. Only in the final act does this movie really go over-the-top in such a way that it ruins what could have been subtle shocker. Still, the journey to the end is one worth taking. The story concerns a mild-mannered, nebbish man at odds with his family. As a consequence of his daughter's shoplifting, he is brought into contact with a man who, while admittedly weird at first, shows himself to be something else entirely. And as the movie progresses, this put-upon man is pushed to his limits. I thought everything about this movie was excellent, from the production values, the performances, the soundtrack, etc. Shion Sono has quite a pedigree and by and large, this one doesn't disappoint either. The only fault it really has is that it's about 30 minutes too long. There were a couple of detours/plot points that don't really go anywhere, and the ending was a little too protracted to be believable, considering what came before it. The average viewer might be put off by the gore, but to be honest there's not as much of it compared to other movies coming out of Japan. Definitely for fans of extreme Japanese cinema, but maybe this might not be a bad entry point for those new to it.