The Borrowers (1998)

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.