After looking at my top 5 films from last year, I was trying to decide what my favourite film of all time was. Not an easy task when you think about it! After much deliberation, it came down to The Matrix vs. Battle Royale. Both are brilliant (yet very different) films in their own right, each making the more discerning viewer think about the philosophical and moral implications of what is portrayed on screen. If I were pushed to choose one, I would have to go for Battle Royale simply because it is a relatively unknown film in the West and has never had a proper theatrical release over here (and probably never will) due to its content.

In short, Battle Royale is the story of a high school class in post-modern Japan who are taken from their normal lives, and are thrust into a military-controlled island in which they are forced to kill their own friends to survive. The reasons for this I will leave to you to discover. The film is undoubtedly brutal, but its violence is in no way glorified and highlights its futility.

For a more in-depth review, see here and here (Warning: SPOILERS). N.B. I would not recommend this film for anyone under 18.