Battle Royale (2000)

Somewhere on the spectrum after Lord of the Flies and before the Hunger Games, we have Battle Royale.  In Japan after the Millenium, kids are out of control, so the government kidnaps a 9th grade class each year and drops them on an island.  The last survivor wins.  Of course there is infighting and paranoia and panic, but there is also friendship and love and absolute nut-jobs who love to kill.

This is Japanese, so there are geysers of red red blood and the kids are in uniform.  It's more than a bit sick, and really great.  Takeshi Kitano plays the messed-up adult who eats cookies while they battle, and his scenes are some of the best.  This guy does so much with an impassive face that it astonishes me every time I see him.  Plus the movie has a couple scenes that are a bit fantasy-like; I found myself asking - did that really happen?  Did someone imagine that?  Does that mean something?  Needless to say, I'm watching it again.

Supposedly this is Quentin T's fav movie.  I can see why.  Pick it up.