A Bad Trip

Japanese Director Sion Sono's Strange Circus is an appropriately shocking and disturbing film about childhood sexual abuse. Nothing is what it seems, as we witness events on screen through the lens of the disintegrated mental state of one of the characters, but it's safe to say that the various possible interpretations of the disjointed story are horrendous. I haven't painted a pretty picture, yet this is a remarkable, visually striking, and highly original film, full of twists and turns, that takes a hard-hitting approach to its subject matter. It ought be appreciated by those with a taste for challenging cinema, but its extreme approach will alienate more than a few.


Masumi Miyazaki gives an excellent triple performance as writer Taeko, the older Mitsuko, and her mother Sayuri.

The US Region 1 DVD from TLA Releasing (in their Danger After Dark series) makes for top quality viewing.