Kyoko Yoshizawa

Star Shintaro Katsu sits in the director’s chair for this psychedelic and unremittingly bleak entry in the Zatoichi series, which is unlike any other in its grind-house grimness. A tale of innocence corrupted by sadistic, sleazy criminality, the film is propelled by Easy Rider–esque editing and a trippy seventies funk score by Kunihiko Murai.

In Edo, Naotada Ii, lord of Hikone Han, seeks his twin brother and clashes with the formidable Murasaki Gumi, sparking intense conflict.