The most bleak, disturbing, and depraved movie I've seen I think, definitely the most from Sono. I don't see how he can make anything more fucked up than this tbh. Makes you feel a little gross after watching it. Doesn't really handle the subject matter with the appropriate care, Issei Ishida's performance particularly bothering me towards the end. Because of this, I don't think I can recommend it to people especially anyone who has had similar experiences to the characters.

The movie itself was very well made, I'd say from a moviemaking standpoint (not writing) it's Sono's most polished I've seen so far. The set design was fantastic, the movie was shot very beautifully at times with some really creative visual ideas and a lot of visual symbolism. The writing was also good, the plot and mystery unfurled very well, and by the end the reveals are satisfying yet still thought-provoking, although I had some gripes with how Yuji was written as it progressed. The non-linear narrative was handled well and never became convoluted. I really liked Masumi Miyazaki's performance at the end, reminded me of Mitsuru Fukikoshi as Shamoto in Cold Fish, which is one of my favourite performances.

This guy's thumbnail sums up my reaction to the movie: i.ytimg.com/vi/ycrneYdtqJ0/hqdefault.jpg