Featuring one of the most shocking climaxes in cinema, Takashi Miike’s breakout hit Audition is a devilishly smart and intricately crafted nightmare date movie for the ages. Advised by his teenage son to remarry, widower Shigharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) doesn’t know where to start meeting new women until his film producer friend plots a phoney casting audition where young actresses unknowingly try for the part of Shigharu’s new wife. One such candidate captures his attention, Asami Yamazaki (Eihi Shiina). Apparently enthralled by her emotional depth, Shigharu calls her and invites her on a series of dates. All seems to be going exceptionally well for Shigharu until things take a dark and twisted turn as Asami reveals her own true agenda.

Sitting in stark contrast to genre giant Takashi Miike’s plethora of zany romps and edgy extremities, his international breakthrough Audition is an intelligent, slow-burning and unsettling drama of dating deception that lulls you into a false sense of security before revealing its horrific hand. Finishing on an all-timer finale, Audition is easily one of the greatest, most influential and hardest to watch J-horrors of the 90s – a must for those brave enough.