battle royale (2000)

Japan in the near future is a police state, and in economic turmoil. To maintain control the government comes up with a reality show called Battle Royale. It features a randomly selected class of students who are taken to a deserted island. Each is given a randomly selected weapon, then sent off to kill each other, in whatever way they like. The only rule is that they only have three days to do so or they all die, via an explosive collar that they all have attached to their throats.
As the film ticks down it marks the death toll, whilst examining the classmates complex emotions and how they are coping. Some decide to team up, whilst others quickly reveal their psychotic sides. Will they all succumb to a feral survival of the fittest existence, or will someone find a way to trick the authorities and escape the island?
A gruesome, gorey and violent film, that entertains pretentions of political allegory, examining the Japanese mindset of 'zero sum' diplomacy. A philosophy that only one person can win, that dominated Japanese pre-war politics. Watch it for the politics or for the pure viceral thrills of a fine explotation gorefest. Either or it's entertaining.