Why Don't You Play in Hell? (2015)

Content Warning for Curse Words, Drugs and Violence Where do I begin in describing all the reasons why Why Don't You Play in Hell? (2013) is such an essential watch? The humor is brilliant, and the performances are memorable. It’s wild and weird, filled with deliciously chaotic energy, and bloody, exaggerated violence. Why Don't You Play in Hell? introduces us to the self-proclaimed “freakiest movie freaks in Japan.” There’s Director Hirata, the energetic, passionate leader; Miki, who is responsible for panning shots; Tanagawa, who captures the handheld shots; and Sasaki, their star who fights and dresses in the style of Bruce Lee. Together, they are known by the gleefully crass name, The F*ck Bombers. It’s no doubt that the scenes where the F*ck Bombers are present are the absolute best of the film. Hirata prays to the God of movies for the chance to create a perfect film, even if it means dying, and his passionate energy is infectious. Muto is the leader of a local yakuza gang. Another yakuza gang attempts to assassinate him, but when the men arrive at his house, they find only his wife, who unleashes a torrent of violence upon the would-be killers. While much of the over-the-top violence is saved for the last half-hour, this gory whirlwind gives us an appetizer before the even wilder main course. For her literal overkill, Muto Shizue is sentenced to ten years in prison, but she is more upset that her bloodthirsty actions may lead to their daughter Mitsuko’s toothpaste commercial being removed from the air. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, the toothpaste jingle is such an earworm that it becomes a central in-universe meme. After a time jump of around a decade, we find that the F*ck Bombers have done nothing with their lives, the local yakuza are gearing up for a murderous conflict, and Mitsuko’s career is floundering. With his wife soon to be released from prison, Muto is determined to find his prodigal daughter and drag her back to a film set—any film set. This part of the movie is a bit slow, as we learn about the characters’ lives and motivations. Although this can be frustrating for fans of utter chaos, the middle stretch of Why Don’t You Play in Hell? helps ground the bizarreness that is to come. We need to believe the yakuza would agree to collaborate with the F*ck Bombers to film a bloody battle to the death in order to make Mitsuko a star. This grounded absurdity gives the movie a unique and memorable tone. And then that last half-hour arrives with all the blood, violence, and chaos you’ve been waiting for. Heads will fly and people will die. One character will accidentally get incredibly high on cocaine and see comically strange visions, guns will appear out of nowhere, and much of the cast will die hilarious and exaggerated deaths. It’s everything we’ve been waiting for. Why Don't You Play in Hell?