The Crazy Family
Dave Jackson

Review by Dave Jackson Pro

The Crazy Family 1984

★★★★★ Liked

Watched 16 Oct 2024

Good lord. The Crazy Family is absolutely unhinged. But not unhinged in the way Sogo/Gakuryū Ishii's early punk stuff is. Instead, it is a slow burn of mid-80s societal suffocation that reaches an unbelievable crescendo of chaos. The desperation to be normal and have a nice house and family explodes into mad battles against termites, World War II flashbacks, and attempted familicide by power tool. Ishii's style is so unpredictable, from jaw-dropping long takes to frantic stop-motion cutting. It is a constant stressful thrill. And in amongst this shrieking madness, there is an incredible emotional power with beautiful quiet moments and an ending that I found oddly affecting. For such a fucked up film, The Crazy Family is worryingly relatable and still very much relevant to the pressures and expectations of modern Japan. As a warning, this film does have some pretty uncomfortable moments. There some concerning stuff with a dog (not quite animal cruelty, but I was on edge) and a very young Youki Kudoh of Mystery Train is put in some upsettingly perverse situations. But if you can handle this film's darkness and dribbling insecticide lunacy, this is a must-see.

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