First Love (2019)

First Love is the kind of midnight-movie lightning bolt that reminds you how much fun a crime film can be when it’s steered by a filmmaker with zero fear and total control. Takashi Miike turns one chaotic night in Tokyo into a breathless pinball game of boxers, yakuza, crooked cops, and would-be lovers, juggling bursts of shocking violence with a wicked sense of humor and an unexpectedly tender heartbeat. The pacing is so brisk and the tone so gleefully bizarre that even when things get dark, it stays oddly inviting—more exhilarating ride than grim ordeal. If you’re allergic to bloodshed or Miike-style mayhem, it may be too much, but if you want an accessible, wildly entertaining mash-up of action, comedy, and romance, this one lands like a knockout.

First Love is trying to be a neon-soaked Tokyo fever dream: a romantic meet-cute smashed into a chaotic crime farce where everyone’s chasing everyone and the night keeps getting weirder. When it clicks, it’s brisk, violent, and darkly funny, with a likable central pair and enough stylish energy to carry the mayhem. But if you’re hoping for fresh genre invention or deeper emotional weight, it can feel a bit familiar and oddly shallow, like it’s remixing better yakuza thrills without adding much new. It also takes its time to truly kick into gear, so if slow-build pacing or “wait for it” momentum isn’t your thing, this one may test your patience before it pays off.