Drawn from a true crime case out of Japan, a serial killer is brought in after a months-long manhunt which is recounted (with no help from the collected sociopath) in detail, including the brutal murders, con games spent fleecing mothers of criminals of their bail money, and a relationship with a brothel owner which may or may not show feeling but has only one inevitable destination. Shôhei Imamura's unique, disjointed procedural is cold, lengthy, and ultimately mostly unavailing.
*** out of ****
