One of Japan’s most infamous directors is Takashi Miike. Having directed over 100 films, ranging from his horror masterpiece Audition to the samurai epic 13 Assassins to a bizarrely good Ace Attorney adaptation. It feels fitting that when the most unlikely of series, Bad Lieutenant, made its way east, he would helm the project. Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo pairs Miike with a screenplay by longtime collaborator Daisuke Tengan to deliver a film that, while aimed at a broader market than many of Miike’s works, is a big‑budget US–Japan co‑production that revels in its nastiness.

Following drug‑addicted and debt‑ridden Lieutenant Yabuki (Shun Oguri), who, after the crackdown on Yakuza crime in the early 2000s, is struggling to maintain his double life. His main investigation concerns a murder linked to a recently released Yakuza member seeking revenge by turning his victims into meatballs for birds to eat. However, Yabuki is pulled into another case when FBI agent Gwen Birgssen (Lily James) asks for his help locating Megan (Liv Morgan). The daughter of an American politician, who may also be connected to a separate string of murders.

The film is oddly tame for a Miike project, yet still deeply unsettling in its bursts of shocking nastiness. Watching human flesh turned into meatballs is certainly a sight, but we never actually witness the juicy, potentially distasteful violence itself, only the aftermath. That aftermath may be too much for some viewers. I found myself wishing the film committed more fully to the depravity of these crimes, especially in Megan’s case. Morgan is terribly miscast, delivering a wooden performance for a character that is meant to blend sexual kinks with bone-crunching violence. It feels as though she must maintain a PG‑friendly image because she’s an active WWE performer.

James also does a commendable job; however, her bizarre American accent takes time to adjust to. The standout in the entire cast is the titular lieutenant himself. Oguri is utterly incredible in the role, bringing real life to this sleazy anti‑hero. Over the course of the film, part of me wanted to see him correct course and finally break the cycle of addiction, but for Yabuki, he is, in a way, always chasing that high.

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Miike’s direction is as solid as ever; with one of his films, you shouldn’t expect lush, breathtaking cinematography. Instead, he directs with precision, capturing exactly the shots needed to bring the script to life. This also means that when bizarre moments occur, they’re presented in all their glory. A scene in which a character urinates adds little to the final product beyond its sheer gross-out effect.

However, when these moments are paired with scenes that are nothing short of brilliant, they become easier to forgive. As mentioned, seeing the aftermath of the crimes is macabre, and in the brief glimpses we get of the preparation, the sound design is thunderous as the killer furiously hacks the body apart. The same applies when we watch him draw his instruments of death from his trusty bucket; the scrape of the blade along the rim is nothing short of hair‑tingling. The entire film is held together by a wondrous score from Kôji Endô, which is truly exceptional throughout.

When the credits rolled on Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo. Raven Sky, the new song by one of my favourite J-Pop artists, Ado, began to play, and at that moment I knew I had witnessed something I genuinely enjoyed. However, it wasn’t until it sat with me for a while that I fully appreciated it, realising just how marvellous the film is in its horror. That lingering effect is something only a truly great film can achieve.

★★★★

Had its World Premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival / Shun Oguri, Lily James, Shotaro Mamiya, Liv Morgan, Jun Kunimura / Dir: Takashi Miike / Neon

About the Author

Robert Ewing

Author

Rob is a freelance film critic and writer who specialises in Anime and Asian cinema. I have adored film since a young age, having watched films that were far too old for me, such as RoboCop, Die Hard, and Hot Tub Time Machine, to discovering the heights of foreign cinema through films like Headhunters and Battle Royale. Growing up with such a diverse catalogue of films that I cherished sparked my desire to discuss them. This passion eventually led me to become a reviewer. Dissecting films, speaking to filmmakers I admire, and showcasing the best of Asian and anime cinema is how I live my best and truest life.

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