Bijitâ Q (2001) User Reviews

The key is in the movie itself

[psaygin · 8/10 · 16 May 2005]

Amazing movie playing around with the idea of reality TV, voyeurism and even the nature of reality itself.

Among all the scenes -- of which there are many many memorable ones -- I thought the one which has the key to the movie is when the father is frantically taping the attack on his house and speaking at the same time and among a frenzy of "reporter-talk" he says,

"What are we supposed to feel?"

The key to the movie is, you are never allowed to know what you are supposed to feel. These days, in movies and TV, we are frequently "told" what to feel. Takashi Miike takes this and pulls the carpet from under all of us. he builds his film around the phenomenon of TV/media, emotion-building, exposing, exploiting... Yet keeps this tension through the movie and does not allow us for a moment to settle in our armchairs, does not for one moment let us get into that comfy zone of being told what to feel.

And hence watching this movie becomes this eerie, stressful process as noted by everyone else. Am i disgusted, indignant, amused, sympathetic, angry, confused? You are never told. You have to go through it on your own. And that is the point.

Possibly the Most Screwed-Up Film You'll Ever See

[gavin6942 · 8/10 · 3 September 2007]

Another world exists, and we are given a glimpse into that world: where sons beat their mothers, fathers are attracted to their daughters, and random strangers take up residence in a home and begin to run the household as they see fit. This is the world of "Visitor Q".

I've been on something of a Takashi Miike kick lately, thoroughly enjoying "Audition" recently. He's more offbeat and push-the-envelope than much of what passes for horror in America. This film is no exception. While the violence is much less than I've seen from Miike, the bizarre sexual aspects are pushed to new limits.

I don't know what I can write here without being obscene, but it's hard to describe this film without at least mentioning a few of the extreme sexual cases presented: incest, necrophilia, sex with feces, a woman who enjoys making herself lactate until she's flooded the room. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. If you're looking for something weird, this is your best bet. The only film that comes close to being this strange is "Slaughtered Vomit Dolls", which is more gross and artistic than this -- this film is just weird in general.

So, how do you judge a film that's bizarre? As art? Because the plot is really hard to pin down (not much happens, and the visitor is never explained). The acting is amazing, at least as far as they really pulled off the dark humor (I think most people will miss the fact this is supposed to be funny, but you can tell the violence is exaggerated on purpose). I really liked it, if for no other reason than that every time I thought it couldn't get weirder, I was wrong.

If you watch the opening scene and don't mind what you see, watch this film. I was uncertain at the beginning because the use of video quality made it seem all too real. But after the initial shock faded, I really few in love with this family and wanted to know what was going on. Not sure I understand it, but that just leaves me wanting to see it again. So, yeah, if you're into bizarre films or Miike (or both), put this on the top of your list!

bizarre, disturbing ...and I thought American reality TV was bad!

[theoscillator_13 · 7/10 · 14 December 2005]

This was the fourth Miike film I've seen (Audition, Ichi, Gozu...well 5th if you count his short from Three Extremes) and I think this was by far the most bizarre and disturbing. I'm not squeamish or easily affected by movies so it didn't really disturb me but I can see where it would be disturbing to the average viewer. Miike did manage to hit upon almost every taboo in the books. I'll admit that I did feel somewhat dirty because I got turned on by the opening scene...but hey, it's a just a movie.

Overall I think it was a unique take on the reality TV craze and voyeourism in general. While I didn't like it as much as his other movies that I've seen it's definitely worth checking out.

Even viewers familiar with Miike's other bizarre movies will be unprepared for this! I think in decades to come it will regarded as a milestone and spoken of in the same breath as Bunuel, Jodorowsky, Lynch a

[Infofreak · 7 March 2004]

I've seen over half a dozen Takashi Miike movies, so I'm aware of how bizarre his output can be, but nothing can quite prepare you for how extreme 'Visitor Q' is! In the last decade Miike has gone from straight to video crime thrillers to genre-busting arthouse cult favourites by following his own unique vision. He's also breathtakingly prolific, having completed around twenty projects since this, which was released only three years ago(!) Miike's best known movies in the last few years include the ultra-violent live action manga 'Ichi The Killer', the slow psychological thriller 'Audition', and the zany, feel good zombie musical 'The Happiness Of The Katakuris'. Those three movies alone prove he is the most exciting and innovative director working today, but 'Visitor Q' takes him to a whole new level. 'Pink Flamingos' meets 'Salo' meets reality TV on crack(?) However you try and describe this movie it just won't be adequate. When I say you just have to see it to believe it, I'm not just taking in cliches! 'Visitor Q' is shot on digital video in a pseudo-documentary style. In the opening scene we see a middle aged man (Kenicho Endo, who you might recognize from Miike's 'Dead Or Alive 2') inadvertently videotaping himself having sex with a teenage prostitute. They are in fact father and daughter. This is just the beginning of a very strange trip for the viewer! The father is a failed TV reporter who comes up with a new program idea about bullying using his own teenage son (Jun Muto), who is being victimized by his classmates and in turn abuses his own mother (Shungiku Uchida). She is secretly addicted to heroin and turns tricks to support her habit. Into this ultra-dysfunctional family comes a mysterious visitor (Kazushi Watanabe) who we are introduced to when we see him brain the father with a rock. Exactly who or what the visitor is is never explained, but his presence effects the family in various odd ways, strangely bringing them closer together. His character reminded me a bit of the messiah figures in Coffin Joe's 'Finis Hominis' or J.G. Ballard's 'The Unlimited Dream Company'. 'Visitor Q' slowly creeps up on you with images of abuse and abnormal behavior until around the three quarter mark when you are left staring slack jawed at the screen not quite believing what you are seeing! When the movie cuts between Father in the greenhouse and Mother in the kitchen with Visitor Q (I won't/can't go into details!) it's the most extraordinary sequence I've watched in any movie EVER! It goes with saying that 'Visitor Q' is not for most people, but if you appreciate the surreal and the confrontational, then this is one movie you MUST see. I think in decades to come it will regarded as a milestone and spoken of in the same breath as Bunuel, Jodorowsky, Lynch and Cronenberg.

Disturbing, yet compelling...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 24 July 2012]

"Visitor Q" is directed by Takashi Miike ("Audition", "Ichi the Killer") so you know that you are in for something unique when you sit down to watch this movie. And boy does he deliver oddities in this movie. It is without a doubt the most weird and disturbing Miike movies that I have seen so far.

Takashi Miike is a great director and has a very direct and unusual approach to film making, and thanks for that. It is great that there are someone who has the courage to be this controversial and bizarre.

The story in "Visitor Q" is about the estranged Yamazaki family who is dysfunctional beyond comprehension. The father, Kiyoshi, is working in television and is apparently making a segment on teens in Japan, and the very first scene of the movie is where we see him having sex with his own daughter. Yeah, that's right, it is that twisted. So already there from the very start, you have the standards of the oddities that you are in for in the movie. The mother of the family, Keiko, is physically abused and beaten by their son, and is providing sexual services to strangers in order to maintain her drug habit. The son, Takuya, is bullied by boys from the school and is taking out his anger and frustration on his mom. The daughter, Miki, has run away from home and is selling sex in order to make money. Being hit on the head twice by a stranger, the father invites the assailant into their home. Oddly enough, the visitor turns out to be the ingredient required to fix this dysfunctional family.

The story is so odd and so out there that it is just downright bizarre. But oddly enough, it works out so well, because the story is so far out there that it is actually interesting to watch. And there is something disturbingly captivating about this dysfunctional family.

"Visitor Q" has some really good acting performances, even though it has a rather small ensemble of people on the cast list. The movie is really carried by Ken'ichi Endô (playing the father) and Kazushi Watanabe (playing the Visitor), and is well helped along also by Shungiku Uchida (playing the mother).

It should be said that "Visitor Q" is somewhat of an acquired taste, and it is not suitable for just everyone. It is recommended that you are familiar with Takashi Miike's previous work and also a fan of Japanese cinema. There is a fair share of nudity and adult situations in the movie, so take that into consideration as well before you sit down to watch the movie.

I did enjoy the movie, despite it being so weird, but then again I like movies that are not mainstream Hollywood productions. This movie is a great addition to Takashi Miike's legacy.

A vile masterwork

[zetes · 10/10 · 21 February 2004]

Visitor Q is hard to deal with, but I think I'd call this a masterpiece. This is an update of Pier Paolo Pasolini's Teorema. It's often compared to Pasolini's Salò because of its shocking content, but, plot-wise, it's virtually a remake of the 1968 film, brilliantly updated and moved to modern Japan. Teorema is not Pasolini's best film, but I do consider it a great one. It is a very simple allegory. Miike expands the concept even further. A family is falling apart, and a stranger whom nobody seems to know moves into their home and starts knocking some sense into them (sometimes literally). There are some truly disturbing things in Visitor Q that few people of sound mind and body will want to sit through. Fortunately, I am not of sound mind or body. If you can take it, the film can be extremely funny, as well. And I think it actually captures something truthful not only about the decay of Japanese culture, but also the rest of the world. It just does this in the most extreme way possible. Most will probably judge that it goes too far. I thought it was amazing.

Slow and plot less- but also unforgettable

[asda-man · 7/10 · 16 March 2014]

A lot of people joke about Visitor Q being a family film and being a good film to watch with your whole family, but the funny thing is that I really did watch this film with my whole family! Mum, Dad, sister and even dog sat down to watch this with me and we all made it through to the end. We all had very different reactions. My Dad called it something along the lines of "sick crap" and wondered why I would buy this sort of thing. My Mum was more understanding, but thought it was just a film to shock its audience. My sister was just plain confused, and I'm pretty sure my dog fell asleep! Visitor Q is not a film for everyone. You either 'get' this sort of thing or you don't. I think Visitor Q is the type of film you can't really judge until you know what it was trying to say. It's very easy to say "this is just a mindless, sick piece of work. Chuck it on the bonfire!" but knowing Takeshi Miike, like I sort of do, Visitor Q has much more to say beneath its disturbing and perplexing surface.

The film opens with one of the most disturbing scenes in the whole film. It's an explicit (but blurred) sex scene between a father and his daughter. The scene feels like it's going on forever and it's extremely uncomfortable to watch. Thankfully it's not entirely clear at first that the two are related (I thought it was a man and a prostitute by the way they were communicating) until there's mentioning of her Mum and her allowance. It sets the tone for the film.

Visitor Q feels like a series of increasingly effed up events within a strange and thoroughly dysfunctional family. Miike addresses every taboo in the book and it's not an easy watch. Some of the more alarming taboos are played for laughs though, which makes it a little easier to watch, but it just comes across as plain weird! Visitor Q is a seriously deranged film and just about matches Gozu in terms of absurdity. I'm still not entirely sure in what it all means, but some have pointed to the visitor as being the viewer, which is an interesting take.

The film looks extremely low budget. It has been given an alarming sense of realism thanks to the documentary style in which it has been shot. It looks grainy and cheap, but it suits the film well. It's devoid of the Hollywood gloss we constantly see in mainstream films, which makes everything seem all the more disturbing. Visitor Q is extremely slow to begin with and is even a little boring sometimes, which is a shame. Thankfully though there are some funny moments to keep you going and the final half hour is pretty much non-stop footage of disturbing behaviour.

I don't really know if I liked it or not, but it's certainly something I'll never forget. I was hoping for something more because people always rave about it, but is that just because it dares to break so many taboos in 80 minutes? Visitor Q is a film for people with open minds and those people who only watch Hollywood movies should stay well clear of this. It's sometimes tedious, but always disquieting. I would've liked more character development around the family because they really are an interesting lot. I wouldn't recommend watching it with your family though like I did. It does get a little awkward!

Hard to stomach in terms of grossness, but also hard to stomach, swallow or take seriously in terms of story, film-making and the necessity of confronting situations!

[the amorphousmachine · 4/10 · 7 August 2006]

(BIG SPOILERS) I've seen one other Takashi Miike film, and that was the very disturbing and brutal 'Audition', which was an examination of the Japanese ideals of femininity! In 'Visitor Q'- which I think means 'Visitor Question'- he examines, in a very disturbingly gross way, the family unit. Miike's surreal vision of a dysfunctional family almost tries to be Lynchian in terms of confusion and film-making, but ultimately lacks the style and intrigue. We, the audience, are introduced to a bizarre array of scenarios from the opening scene with the father figure (Kenichi Endo- who was actually quite good) paying for sex with his displaced daughter (Fujiko). Then, as the father returns home, he is struck on the head by "the visitor" (Kazushi Watanabe) wielding a fairly sizeable rock, and for some reason, they both end up back at the family home. The mother (Shungiku Uchida) is beaten and bullied by her son (Jun Muto) who is also beaten and bullied by his school peers. When the visitor enters the home, he somewhat menacingly establishes himself as part of the unit. Eventually, the family begin to improve their relationship, with assistance from the visitor, through milking breasts, murder and retaining a sense of family pride.

And there are other crazy scenes that somehow bring the family closer together. It's has uncomfortable humour, but is equally frustratingly silly, and over-the-top in its weirdness. There is a necrophiliac scene that is utterly disgusting, but ends up being ridiculously funny as the scene progresses. Partly because of the situation itself, and partly because you can't believe the filmmakers and the actors are actually doing this! The style of the film is poor to say the least, and the plot is stupid and unbelievably weak. The characters themselves are all over the place, and while I understand this is not meant to be realistic, there is hardly any interest in these confronting characters and situations as all of them border on the absurd! The camera-work is sloppy, and doesn't have that cinematic feel that Lynch's work entails. It's hard to take this film seriously on a surrealist level, or on an interpretation of examining the family unit in Japan. It just seems that Miike was out to shock, and the film seems self-aware that it's "trying" to be shocking, and it becomes almost comical to be taken seriously. All in all, I would say that this film is a bizarrely dark comedy, but it looks and feels amateurish, and seems to unnecessarily want to shock. Miike's previous film, Audition, was finely balanced between disgusting horror, character development and technique- which established more intrigue in the way the film was crafted to allow the viewer to become engrossed with the plot. 'Visitor Q' is a step down as it tries too hard to be outlandishly bizarre and intentionally confronting, without really having much to say in the process!

** out of *****!

Ready for a really screwed up film?

[spacemonkey_fg · 9/10 · 3 March 2005]

Title: Visitor Q

Director: Takashi Miike

Review:

Jeez, I don't know where the heck to begin with this one. Well I guess it could be talking about Miike and how he is known for his ultra violent yakuza films or his love for shocking the heck out of his audience. But I could also talk about how he doesn't just shock for the sake of shocking. There's some context and a message that accompanies the shocking imagery. Such was the case with Visitor Q a very strange journey, but ultimately a very shocking, entertaining and thought provoking one.

The story is about this incredibly dysfunctional family in which everyone is living in their own little world. There's no unity...no love. Heck, when the movie starts out you think they are all different stories, then, slowly you start to realize that this people are all related and living in the same house hold. The mothers a heroin addict, the kid gets beat up at school by bullies, so he takes it out on his mother by violently hitting her, the fathers a failed reporter who is trying to come to grips with his premature ejaculation problem and the daughter, well shes a whore (literally!). So as you can see, this family is all over the place. In comes a strange visitor who suddenly starts to live with them, observing them from afar. Not talking much, just observing at the insanity of the everyday lives of this four crazy people.

The thing about this movie is that, yes it is very shocking with the images. In fact, I don't think you will ever see a movie as crazy as this one. I'm sure of it. Not even in your wildest craziest horniest dreams will you see the crazy things that you will see on Visitor Q. But you see, the film is not only about the shock value, for Miike makes sure that there is substance to the story, because it really touches upon some important social themes. It talks about the importance of family and love, about the role of the father as protector of the house hold, about the need of motherly love and about bullies getting whats coming to them. I think that many of the themes explored on this film are very relevant for the Japanese culture and I'm sure Miike is just venting all those frustrations out through this artistic outlet, but Ill be damned if all this social commentary isn't relevant to any other culture.

Then there's the Visitor Q. He is just someone who starts to co exist with the family and I saw him as maybe God coming down to earth and seeing this family quietly acting as only an observer, seeing what he has created and what his creation has turned into. He is almost emotionless...though he will let the family members know when they are doing something wrong by banging it into their head. Literally! Anyhows, I'm sure many people will have their own interpretation as to who the visitor is and what he represents...so Ill leave that up to you.

All in all I thought this movie was hugely entertaining, just because of the fact that I couldn't believe some of the things that were happening on the screen as I watched. Some of the things are so amusing that you cant help but laugh. At the same time, just like when you watch a film by Lynch or Cronenberg...you know there's some deep commentary on the human condition in there somewhere. So you watch...watch and interpret. Watch and try and figure it out. Amazed and shocked as you learn.

Is it a horror movie? I don't know, Its as much a horror movie as some might consider Mullholand Drive or Lost Highway a horror movie. It goes deep into those dark regions of the human mind. The insanity and crazyness of the situations can get horrifying if you look at it from that perspective. It does have some gore and blood, but Id say its more a horror movie because of the places that it takes us on a psychological level.

Though I must go down in saying that this film is certainly not for everyone. It certainly isn't for anyone who likes their movies safe and Hollywood like. Its not for those who love happy endings and that warm feeling inside. Its more for those unconventional people who like to dive deep into to the dark regions of the human psyche and are brave enough to see what they find.

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5

Portrayed Disturbingly Well

[JoelChamp85 · 6/10 · 20 March 2021]

Following an extremely disfunctional family, who do anything from prostitution to necrophilia, the audience is in for a bit of a shock. Somehow it's decently made and believable thanks to the raw actors performances. I have no idea how someone writes a script like this, gets it funded for production and finds actors to bring it to life. So strange, but far from fantasy.

A total piece of garbage

[writerasfilmcritic · 1/10 · 1 February 2006]

Anyone who could find redeeming value in this piece of crap ought to have their head examined. We have the submissive, heroin-addicted, part-time hooker wife with lacerations all over her body, lacerations received from repeated beatings by an abusive son. Now, she is squirting breast milk all over the kitchen floor, the release so gained somehow akin to Helen Keller placing her hands in running water. We have the husband who starts out by patronizing a prostitute who just happens to be his daughter (she's upset with him because he came too quickly)and ends by murdering his female colleague, having sex with her corpse, and then chopping her up. We have the kid who is relentlessly bullied by his classmates and who comes home and beats his mom. You see, it's all circular. Deep, huh? The only decent moment in this horrendous pile of tripe is when the dad murders his son's tormentors. It's a good thing this turkey was shot on video because otherwise what a waste of expensive film it would be. If that guy who thinks artists ought to be interested in this slop is really serious, no wonder most people think artists are insane. We saw this lousy movie, then put on "Zero Woman, The Accused." Oh my God, it was a tossup as to which one was worse. What is going on in Japan these days? Sick, sick, sick.

disturbing, powerful, but so hilarious

[dixyfifi · 9/10 · 5 May 2005]

What is amazing with Miike Takashi's cinema is its ability to surprise you. This film is no exception.

Wery aware of its medium (a DV camera) Miike uses this cheap look to touch the viewer more deeply. The credibility comes from this disturbing proximity of the image (It looks like your holiday film). Recurrent use of subjective perspective, emphasis this. But, instead of falling into a dogma-like movie, Miike pushes the plot to its most unacceptable extremities, sometimes flirting with the fantastic genre.

Miike plays with multi point of views, particularly during the opening scene, in which the girl takes photographs of her father before they sleep together. Desorienting the spectator.

What astonished me when I saw that movie, is the amount of humor (noir)that grows up during the film. Here, shocking situations (necrophilia, humiliations...) become really funny. And from an awful family relationship, the plot evolves to an objectively even worst situation, but subjectively a much better situation for the characters.

Miike plays here with conventional Hollywood vision about family and gives a much cynical and humorist meaning to unity! A really enjoyable film I would advise to open minded mature people.

It's all about family, man!

[jmerlino · 7/10 · 29 September 2020]

Visitor Q is a very, very strange movie.

We open with a hooker and her John. The John turns out to be her dad.

At home, the son beats the mother with a variety of implements that he has stored very neatly. However, the boy himself is bullied by his schoolmates.

The mother is a heroin addict (probably to kill the pain of the beatings) and works as a dominatrix to support her habit.

The father is a failed TV reporter who works with a female partner. They are having an affair, but she's tired of him (because of his PE problem, he thinks).

One day, the father brings home a stranger. He is only introduced as "My acquaintance." In a very odd way, without saying much, and without judging them in any way, he begins to heal the family.

The father brings him along as a camera man on one job. His partner says she's finished, that he's just too pathetic. He is enraged, thinking that her rejection is because of his PE problem.

The stranger helps him move the body, and in a very bizarre scene, he commits necrophilia, in the process overcoming his PE. He's very excited about this, but his fun is cut short when the corpse begins to do things that corpses do.

The stranger confronts the wife. She's in her usual state, petrified and hurting. He hugs her from behind and begins to massage her. Things escalate and he begins squeezing her breasts, making her lactate. This delights her.

Meanwhile, the father has a problem. Rigor mortis has set in on the body, and he's stuck. They bring the body inside, and in the tub, the mother pours vinegar on them (supposed to soften the body).

He is eventually freed and in a spasm of joy, kills the boys that are bullying his son.

What does it all mean? Damned if I know. There's obviously commentary on the nature of reality TV, of bullying, of sexual abuse, and other stuff. What stood out to me was how the stranger changed their lives without really saying anything about it. He simply acts when he needs to, and usually in a compassionate way.

The movie is harsh and shocking but also oddly funny, and in a bizarre way, kind of sweet. The family is seriously messed up, but they're closer at the end.

Weird stuff but worth a watch if you can handle the extreme stuff.

Another really sick movie made in Japan!

[Splatterdome-AMH · 5/10 · 6 March 2002]

Welcome to the most insane family ever. Teenage girl Keiko seduces her own father for money. Son Takuya gets beaten by his classmates everyday and therefor tortures his mother with a whip. Mother goes on a drug trip to escape this everyday hell. One day, a mysterious visitor joins the family, and things become even stranger. Father Kiyoshi plans to film his son while he's being beaten, intending to broadcast the tape. But then, he prefers to kill and rape (in this order) his female partner (who was working at the same TV station) instead. If that weren't enough, he becomes necrophile... Influenced by the visitor, the family finally kind of finds together again in the sickest way imaginable.

After such cult favorites as "FUDOH: THE NEW GENERATIONS" a.k.a. "GOKUDÔ SENGOKUSHI: FUDÔ" and "AUDITION", Japanese director Takashi Miike delivers again with this incredible (?) movie. Over-the-top in every sense of the word, filled with bad taste and crude humor in the extreme, this shot-on-digital-video satire (kind of) is destined to become another cult classic. It is the sixth and final part of a series called "Lovecinema" (the movies don't have anything in common except for a love thematic). Despite the direct-to-video production, "VISITOR Q" enjoyed a short theatrical run in Japan. WARNING: Only suitable for those who are into Japanese extreme cinema!!

Bear in mind: You cannot unsee a movie

[samklink77 · 29 March 2004]

Have you ever had sex with your father? What a lovely way to greet the audience to the movie, and set the relative mood for the next 2 hours. Any movie that begins with a daughter prostituting herself to her father and post-coitus referring to him as Early Bird due to his quick finale is bound be...shall we say, interesting. Essentially, Visitor Q follows the daily life of a family in Japan that has quite the unique structure. The father goes about his life quite monotonously simply trying to survive after being raped with his own microphone while trying to interview a group of teen-age boys for his story about modern teens in Japan. That is, until a stranger decides to hit in the head with a rock while he sits at a bus stop. And then once more while he is walking home from work. Needless to stay, the father and stranger become great friends and the stranger moves in with him. Mother is an ordinary house wife who simply cleans, cooks, cleans, and obsesses that her face is perpetuously perfect by cleaning and pampering it constantly, and of course trying to protect it while being battered with a rug beater. She is scarred up over the rest of her body and walks with a very large limp. One would suspect that such physical abnormalities would inhibit her part-time job as a whore. On the contrary, at least a hand full of men love her scars...which works out beautifully to help Mom feed her heroin addiction. Oh, I almost forgot. The son beats his mother whenever the opportunity arises. He has even devoted a small closet in his room to various tools for beating her. Apparently, he prefers the rug beater and the tazer. When not at school being brutalized by his fellow school mates, he spends his time in his room indulging in his hypochondria/mysophobia. Long story short, the vast majority of the movie is a look at the family's decent from bad, to worse, to worst, and finally to worse than you could ever possibly imagine worst being. SKIP THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT A SPOILER. Both unfortunately and miraculously, the "worse than you could ever possible imagine worst being" moment is the also the grand finale where the family is finally happy. This happiness comes in the form of Mom discovering her love of lactation while the strange quest (whom we can assume to one Visitor Q), watches crossed-legged with an umbrella below her. Mother's lactating love is paralleled by Dad's ability to no longer be considered a speedy lover while copulating with his dead co-anchor's corpse, also discovering that as a dead person's muscles release after death, the bowels are no exception, and last but not least rigor mortis affects the vagina too. Then again, Dad's awkward situation allows for a great husband wife bonding situation when mother prepares him a vinegar bath meant to help "soften him up", but Mom's heroin ends up doing much better. The movie's capper comes in the form of mother and father following these easy steps to a better family: 1. Kill your Son's bullies. 2. Chop up the body of the dead hooker currently lying in your green-house. 3. Have your Son lie in the mess of breast milk and vaginal fluids Mom has created from her previous escapade with Visitor Q. 4. Place the body parts from steps 1 & 2 in the back of the car. 5. Mom and Dad: surround yourself in tarp and have Dad breast-feed from mother. 6. When your daughter returns home, have her join in the breast-feeding goodness. 7. Enjoy. Think about it. That was a happy ending.

*YOU MAY CONTINUE READING FROM HERE* This movie raises many thought-provoking questions. Through out the film Dad is trying to create a reality-t.v. article about teens and even degrades himself so much as to film his own son getting beat up and forced to defecate (probably so that the boy can forcibly re-ingest it later) for his article. Is this really what we're coming to in a society where the only things that make news are the things that will disturb us most? Can we reform our ways with the introduction of a new third party? What was the motivation for the actors/actresses in scenes such as the one where the dead reporter is being raped? "Ok in this scene, you're not allowed to breath or move cuz well, you're dead. Oh, and also, you just released your bowels on this guy's hand. Did I mention he's going to be having sex with you?"

All in all, it's a good movie with good acting and terribly strange content along with an excellent plot/moral.

Insane & disturbing, but still a fantastic film from Miike Takashi....

[MovieGuy01 · 7/10 · 28 November 2009]

I have just watched Miike Takashi' film Visitor Q, tonight, and i think that it is one of the most insane and disturbing films that i have ever seen, since Ichi The Killer another of Miike's films I almost found it too shocking to watch parts of it because of the film content. It is about a father, who is a former television reporter who is trying to make a documentary about violence and sex among youths in Japan. He has sex with his daughter who is a prostitute. There are some really disturbing sences in this film where his son beats up his mom, who is also a prostitute and also a heroin addict, and has to inject herself everyday."Q" a strange man comes and lives with the family but before he injures the father by hitting him in the head with a large stone, who he later becomes friends with. It is hard to explain how insane this film is. I would recommend this film only to people who are able to watch such disturbing images. But i thought that it was still a fantastic film. 7/10

I'm still impressed

[Polaris_DiB · 9/10 · 16 April 2008]

Visitor Q is another excellent experiment by Takashi Miike to see if he can get his crew to quit, his audience to leave the theatre, and people to be offended to the point of non-completion of the movie. However, it was completed, just like the dozens of other Miike movies, and just like Ichi the Killer, Gozu, Audition, and other thrillers, the overall extremes of the movie are bounded together by a relentless imagination and a whimsical logic. This movie, like Audition, is billed often as a horror movie, but like Dead or Alive, what seems to be going in one direction actually becomes something completely different by the time the movie ends.

There is literally a line where the scenes of this movie get so extreme that they cease to be horrifying and instead become hilarious. Another example of Miike's skill is that he knows exactly where that line is, and at that point the direction lets the movie become more comedic as well. There is no better perverse pleasure than watching a married couple smiling and connecting after years of dysfunction as they hack apart a corpse together... especially following everything that's happened previously, which includes but is not limited to necrophilia, coprophilia, copious milk spraying, and random violence. You know, usual Miike fair.

This movie has its significance, as well. Miike has definitely tapped into the Japanese anxiety over traditionalism versus modernism, a conflict that can be found through almost the entire history of Japanese cinema (for a good discussion of this, see Donald Richie's "One Hundred Years of Japanese Film"). Miike's feelings are, like the best of Japanese filmmakers, ambivalent and assimilated. A stated theme of the movie in dialog is that Japan is falling apart because the traditional family is falling apart... yet that family comes back together through some of the most perverse acts ever recorded and distributed (besides Italian Giallo films, but this is better).

I have seen something like a dozen Miike films by now--the man produces them faster than I can watch them. It's a very rare filmmaker that continues to impress through so many movies. As long as he keeps it up, I'm going to keep watching them... and as long as he maintains his abject sensibilities, his lack of self-censorship, and his constant explorations of extremes, he'll continue to make classics.

--PolarisDiB

Insanity personified

[ExpendableMan · 6/10 · 23 February 2005]

Miike Takeshi, director of 'Visitor Q,' is also responsible for Japanese horror classics 'Audition' and 'Ichi The Killer,' two films which significantly raised the bar for on screen violence and visceral depravity so you could be forgiven for going into this one expecting a full on blood bath. I guarantee you will spend a lot of the viewing time squirming, but the discomfort is caused by more psychological means this time round.

The film concerns itself with the arrival of 'the visitor' into the lives of a small Japanese family and the effect he has on their confidence and the structure of their family. He is a striking figure make no mistake about it; his first on screen appearance comes when he batters the father of the family around the head with a large rock and as he strides around nonchalantly in tight black jeans and a bright red shirt, he remains a constant, looming presence. However, it is the family themselves who are the real focus of events. Takeshi treads a similar path to the likes of 'American Beauty,' stripping down the idealism of the nuclear family, but where 'Beauty' was cautious and tacked on a heavy dose of sentimentality, Takeshi has no time for such matters. He bludgeons right into the family ideal and rips it apart within minutes. In the first ten minutes, the father has sex with his own teenage daughter who has run away to become a prostitute, the teenage son beats the helpless mother who happens to be injecting heroin every night and also works as a prostitute herself. Dysfunctional is not the word.

Each of the characters is lost, confused and totally hopeless until the visitor arrives and that is where things swerve directly off reality and plummet headlong into full on insanity. Teenagers are murdered, corpses raped and in one of the most bizarre scenes in film history, a woman lactates so much it's surprising she doesn't shrivel up from dehydration. This is not a date movie by a long shot, it is best watched on your own when you can appreciate some of the subtleties and as nothing is really resolved by the ending credits, make your own conclusions about it. It may not be a nice film and it may be extremely uncomfortable to watch all the way through, but nevertheless remains compelling viewing.

Want A Confusing Mess Of A Movie? Look No Farther

[Boone-alexander · 2/10 · 16 April 2014]

Let me start off by saying the ONLY reason I gave this movie a 2, is because I found myself laughing at a couple of the parts. People over examine this movie and act like its some hidden gem, but from the very start of the movie until the end it's exactly the same. Confusing Japanese incest/comedy. Literally the very beginning. Biggest let down in a while. I found myself checking the time constantly while waiting for it to end. And then not to mention the end. Hidden message? Deep meaning? Once again, I think it's just incest porn. But I have to admit, at the few parts I was laughing, I was laughing hard. SPOILER : For instance, the dad is having sex with a dead body and he says "you're wet. Even in death the body can get wet! How amazing!" And then he realizes she is releasing her bowels and just s**t all over him. He then says "this isn't amazing! It's s**t!" And I was dying.

Disturbingly Delicious... that is, if you can stomach it

[christian94 · 10/10 · 22 July 2007]

Right of the bat, this movie is not for everyone. It opens with an intertidal announcing nonchalantly, "Have you ever had sex with your father?" Seeing this written simply on the screen, you start to look around the theater to try to ascertain other people's reaction. You feel slightly uncomfortable. You wonder if your presence at the movie is a testament of your perversity. As the scene progress and it becomes eminent that this little girl is indeed going to have sex with her father, you feel a genuine unease. You even wonder if other member of the audience will simply stand up and leave... but everyone remains seated. They watch the act play itself out. It looks so real!! Who in the world filmed this? Is this a movie or did it really happened?

Then you realize that the reason nobody left, was that they were all glued in their seat. Frozen. The scene was so intense! And then... the laughter starts. An unsure, reluctant laugh. Should I laugh? Is this funny? Is this sick? Distasteful? Sad? The answer is: this is human nature. Some of us do this. Some never do, but nonetheless have the urge to do some of these things. We are not all as neat, conformist, lawful, respectful, righteous as some might think. We have a dark side. This film shows us this dark side. Simply, honestly, and with great care not to be afraid to go too far.

This film is extremely daring. It depicts acts that are not only illegal and to most (I sincerely hope) immoral, but that are also very passionate and intimately linked to who we are. Seeing this on screen allows us a glimpse into this forbidden world. It is as though we are actually committing these atrocities vicariously, and if not, are at least silent witnesses. But we enjoy it. Yes, why do we enjoy it so much? Because, like it or not, it is part of us, somewhere deep (very deep) inside, we understand these fellow humans.

So behind the shock value and the constant disturbing images thrown at the spectators, there lies a deep analysis of human drives that is quite revealing and to the point. This film is like a case study in a scientific experiment. Between the sex, between the violence, we find the motivations and reasons for this decadence. For some, it may require more courage than others, but we owe it to ourselves to watch... to learn.

This film is not as dark as you might imagine it to be. That is what is so surprising about it. The incorporation of humor and absurdity in hateful and abject displays. The situations are in fact quite funny, even hilarious. The people are real persons that you might even come to like. The story is somewhat sweet, heartfelt. So come in open-minded, let go of your inhibitions, of your own self-censorship, and enjoy it!! Laugh, cry, let your stomach turn a little and feel like you've experienced something never before experienced. This is what novelty is all about.

The first scene is just the tip of the iceberg compared to the rest of the movie, but I would spoil the fun by telling you what you are about to see, just go ahead and see it. Expect nothing. Expect anything.

Pretty strange but I like it.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 23 February 2009]

I don't like all of Takashi Miike's movies but I found this one to be pretty enjoyable, despite it being quite an odd movie. But well, that's just Miike's thing, so be sure what to expect before watching this.

Miike's handles all kind of different styles and themes and blends them together into this movie. It has lots of crazy characters, a bunch of violence and also a large amount of sex and nudity this time. This gets all combined with its absurd story, that strengthens all of its other themes, making this an odd as well as an unique viewing experience.

Despite all of its heavy visual themes, with violence and sex, the movie is above all things also strangely entertaining to watch. Miike puts in his trademark comedy, that often makes this movie a light and pleasant watch, despite all of the heavy things that are happening on screen. He knows to put in the comical touches at the right place and at the right time.

Of course it often is a hard movie to understand and follow because of all of its unusual themes and not so every-day common characters. It therefore also really isn't a movie for just everybody but if you are willing to give this movie a change with a clear mind and don't try to think too much about it all, until afterward when things start to seem to make more sense to you, changes are you might end up enjoy watching this movie.

It's a movie that gets better as it progresses. At first it all is one big blur to you but later on things start to clear up more and you're able to understand some of it's themes and intentions of Miike. Everything starts to come together to you and suddenly what normally seems strange now seems perfectly normally, once you're drawn into Miike's world.

A movie worth giving a go.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Meh

[1mikeg · 4/10 · 2 September 2005]

It's Japanese Postmodernism at its finest, which really isn't saying that much. This movie is purely "art" for the sake of making "art"; in as much that you have to draw your own conclusions as to what points the director was trying to make, because he's not going to be bothered to make them on his own. It's one hundred percent self aware and it smacks you across the face with its own self awareness again and again until you curl up in a ball and cry like a little girl. Effective film making? Yes. Good film making? Not necessarily. There's really not that much meat to this movie; the characters never really develop in a way that's meaningful or even worthwhile, and it's all slopped together in the end with a half-assed statement on "redemption". If this is the future of film making, count me out.

Quick Reviews!!

[malkane316 · 9/10 · 29 April 2005]

This must rank with Dead or Alive (1-3), and The Happiness of the Katakuris as one of Miike's most weird, and along with Audition as one of his best. Thanks to the Tartan DVD distributors once again, as no-one else would have the bravery or intelligence to release such fantastic films as these.

The thinking behind Visitor Q involved a company called CineRocket who made 6 films with the COMBINED budget of under £400,000! Miike's Visitor Q is the final part of the non-connecting series, and according to critic Chris Campion the only rules he had to follow were 'that it had to be shot on digital video and deal with the theme of pure love'. It is probably true that most viewers of this film will find it sickening, insane, and depraved while having no involvement of love, pure or otherwise. However, it is the lactation of the mother which, in a way brings the family together in love for each other, while before there had only been coldness and isolation. Apparently the act of breast-feeding releases oxytocin in the body, an addictive hormone sometimes called the 'hormone of love' (Campion again). Therefore Miike shows love in its purest form.

The film, like so many other Miike features deals with the family, both looking at it as a whole, and looking at the individuals within it. The father is a reporter, shamed by one of his past pieces of work which saw him anally abused by a group of kids. He is searching for a way to boost ratings, to keep his mistress happy, and perhaps redeem himself. He decides to make a film about the youth of Japan and when he decides to get a young prostitute to interview he is surprised to find that it is his daughter who recently ran away from home. One thing leads to another, and almost the first 10 minutes of the film involves Kiyoshi and his daughter in a bed. Questions are asked- 'Have you ever slept with your daughter? Have you ever been hit on the head? Have you ever hit your mother?' Kiyoshi is struck on the head by a mysterious young man who then ends up in Kiyoshi's house. We meet his wife, a heroine addict who is constantly physically abused by their son, who is constantly bullied by other kids. The mysterious Visitor begins to get involved with the family, and when Kiyoshi decides to make a film about the bullying of a son (his) from a father's perspective, the visitor helps, doing some of the camera-work. He does not seem moved in any way by the violence around him, but he manages to teach each member a lesson which brings them together, apparently against the world. He shows the mother how to lactate which proves to her that she is a normal woman, which completely rejuvenates her. Kiyoshi continues to make his film- we see more violence, death, rape, drugs, necrophilia etc etc. It all becomes completely absurd and hilarious, but the narrative never falls apart and by the end we have been completely sucked in.

Filmed on digital, Miike proves to be a master of the format even though this is his first attempt. If you get past the first 15 or 20 minutes the film will suddenly become less revolting, but no less shocking, and you will find yourself laughing uncontrollably with everything happening. Every scene breaks a taboo or shows something new. The story is interesting throughout, each performance is excellent considering the amount of nudity and the content, the scenes of violence, drugs, and sex all look flawlessly real, and we cannot look away. Of course, most people in the West will never see this film, and many that do may switch off before getting to the end because it is extreme. If you cannot handle extreme films, then stay away. Also, Koji Endo provides another excellent score, the final song-'Bubble of Water' by Real Time is perfect for the conclusion ensuring that those final scenes will stick in your head for a long time. If you are a fan of Miike, Japanese film, or extreme movies in general, put this at the top of your list. Unmissable.

9 out of 10

I cannot remember the last time I felt such discomfort while watching a movie

[SoumikBanerjee1996 · 6/10 · 4 July 2022]

Calling this family dysfunctional would pretty much be an understatement! Takeshi Miike's Visitor Q is one of the most absurd, unpleasant features I have ever laid my eyes on! I cannot recall the last time I felt such discomfort and was at such unease while watching a movie. It had gone beyond my wildest imaginations!

Incest, Molestation? Checked!

Domestic Abuse, Violence? Checked!

Necrophilia, Lactation Fantasies? Checked!

You've got pretty much every kind of peculiar, atrocious, contentious component you could imagine having in a film. You just name it and you have it. This is borderline insanity, clearly not made for the conventional set of audience. Proceed only if you know for certain what you are getting yourself into. Or else, maintain your distance.

Please, I insist!

Notorious, sick and very, very boring

[The_Void · 1/10 · 6 August 2006]

I actually retired from Asian horror films some time ago after becoming completely sick of seeing samey ghost story rubbish. However, I've been getting more and more into exploitation flicks recently, and so decided to give them another chance. My first port of call was highly rated director Takashi Miike's highly rated 'Visitor Q'. I'd already seen Audition, and while I didn't like it much, I do rate it as one of the better modern Asian horror films. So, I went into this with sensible expectations; and unfortunately, found only boredom. I suppose this movie is actually really clever and it just went over my head, but what it seemed like to me was simply a collection of violent and nasty scenes with little or no coherency between them. Any comparisons to the work of Luis Bunuel and David Lynch is blasphemous as far as I'm concerned; all Miike has done here is make a film; any intelligence surrounding it has been implemented by pretentious fans, desperate to find some kind of meaning. My headache set in about 10 minutes in (after a father had sex with his daughter for some reason), and it didn't subside until the movie finally ended; at least twenty four hours later, or so it would seem. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against violence in movies and in fact actively seek out the most notorious films around; but while this may be violent, it's also pointless and boring and I didn't get one ounce of enjoyment out of it. Takashi Miike may have a lot of fans, but I'm certainly not one of them; and I certainly hope this is the last time I'll come into contact with one of his films.