Writer-director Kôji Fukada goes to great pains (and even greater focal lengths) to make the viewer question the existence of perfect human depravity, only to turn around and confirm it in this exquisitely told puzzler. Is there anything more gratifying than a sweepingly downcast story told in a uniquely exhilarating manner? Toshio (Kanji Furutachi) stays at home raising a family, while Yasaka (Tadanobu Asano) is off serving an 11-year stretch in the pen for a murder they both committed. It only stands to reason that, upon his release, a fellow Yazuka feels he deserves to carve off a little slice of his pal’s happily-ever-after. There are moments when you’ll feel inclined to look away, but don’t; what Fukada shows is nothing compared to the pictures his sly visual foreshadowing has already planted in your head. Even a tsunami-sized coincidence that hits about halfway through isn’t enough to stagger the foundation of this no-win thriller. (2016) — Scott Marks
This movie is not currently in theaters.