Shinjuku Swan II (2017)

Shinjuku Swan II is Sion Sono cutting loose in his most crowd-pleasing mode, delivering a swaggering, neon-lit underworld saga that moves like a fistfight and hums like a late-night city street. Dropping Tatsuhiko into Yokohama doesn’t just raise the stakes—it widens the canvas, letting the film revel in its charismatic stars as alliances shift and rivalries harden with every backroom conversation and sudden burst of action. Beneath the brash, punchy surface, there’s a sharp, almost journalistic curiosity about how power really works when business, police, yakuza, and “security” all feed the same machine. It’s not for anyone allergic to rough edges or morally messy characters, but if you want a stylish, propulsive crime-action ride with bite, this one earns its bruises.

Shinjuku Swan II wants to be a loud, neon-soaked gangster-action sequel that expands its world from Shinjuku to Yokohama, mixing swaggering comedy with bursts of violence and bigger power plays. The problem is it often plays like a string of loosely connected episodes rather than a story that builds and lands, so you may feel like you’re constantly resetting into a new mini-arc instead of getting a satisfying drive forward. At 133 minutes, that shapelessness can start to drag, especially if you’re not already invested in the characters and the sleazy scout-business milieu. If you’re here for Sion Sono’s chaotic energy, colorful backdrops, and occasional explosive set pieces (plus a strong cast doing their best with the material), you’ll get some fun—just don’t expect a tight, propulsive crime thriller.