Why Don't You Play in Hell? (Sion Sono, 2013)

9/10
Ever since Love Exposure, Sion Sono has been on something of a downward slide for me. In the bunch of his movies I’ve seen since (Cold Fish, Guilty of Romance, The Land of Hope) he’s been interesting, but failing to reach the heights of Love Exposure. So it was a thrill to walk out of Why Don’t You Play in Hell? wondering if it was even better than Love Exposure. It’s definitely the most similar, an absolutely frenetic piece of work that proceeds mostly at breakneck pace. The plot is typically insane – a yakuza must shoot a movie for his imprisoned wife featuring their reluctant daughter relying on a group of cinema diehards called the Fuck Bombers praying every day for their chance to make their masterpiece. To say any more would be unfair, but Sono crafts a frequently hilarious, smart, ridiculous, gory, intricate work that is just a blast to watch. It’s both a love letter to movies and a sharp criticism of Japanese cinema in the present day, and like Love Exposure, it simply has to be seen.