Six years after his unhinged social media age horror Spree, writer/director Eugene Kotlyarenko takes a more optimistic approach with his action-packed rom-com out of Japan.
In Vintage Violence, Carter (Cole Sprouse) is an urban explorer who finds a haul of rare denim in a mineshaft. When Izumi (Kiko Mizuhara) invites him to offload the merchandise in Tokyo, the pair ends up in the crosshairs of the yakuza in a twisty, high-octane trip through the country’s thriving denim market.
Much how he used the found footage of a livestream in Spree to contribute to the social media atmosphere, Kotlyarenko similarly introduces this world with Carter’s urbex stream in Colorado, which Izumi watches on the other side of the world in Toyko. It’s an interesting use of modern tech to drive the narrative, painting a quick but thorough portrait of these two strangers before they even meet.
Kotlyarenko also cleverly uses the connectivity of an abandoned AirPod to provide an adrenaline-fueling soundtrack for an intense chase scene, which makes utilizes the skipping music to build the chaotic tension.
Being as Vintage Violence explores the potential of human connection via the internet, sharing locations becomes the ultimate sign of trust and intimacy in this perpetually online rom-com.
Sprouse and Mizuhara manage to establish a believable chemistry as they flirtatiously get to know each other in the virtual opening montage, bringing a playful infatuated quality to their dynamic before they’re even in the same room.
While act one gets us invested in their budding romance, all hell breaks loose in act two with an entertaining ensemble of bad guys on their trail.
Nijirô Murakami slips effortlessly into the role of Izumi’s shady boyfriend Hiro, who masterminds a shady plot involving Carter’s denim after he racks up debt with the yakuza. Hio Miyazawa channels his inner eccentric Bond villain as Edoga, a dangerous denim-obsessed yakuza boss. But it’s Pierre Taki as the disgraced gangster Ko who gives a devilishly fun performance, seeking vengeance years after his finger was taken as punishment.
Using Tokyo as the film’s setting provides gritty, vibrant playground for Kotlyarenko to explore a twisty yakuza plot and shed light on Japan’s growing sex tourism industry, which has come to attracts unsavory visitors from the US. Meanwhile, the film uses the symbolism of denim to represent the old glory of America as a beacon of the West.
Don’t let the title fool you. If Spree was Kotlyarenko’s cynical comedic take on horror in the social media age, Vintage Violence is an optimistic rom-com with an exciting action twist, that’s still not afraid of a little gross-out factor—not just in the form of the quintessential Japanese blood spray, but also a graphically detailed makeout scene that will have audiences losing it.
Vintage Violence is an addictive fusion of genre set through Kotlyarenko’s hyper-stylized cinematic aesthetic, which is grounded seamlessly by charming performances from Sprouse and Mizuhara.
Title: Vintage Violence
Festival: TIFF
Section: Midnight Madness
Director-screenwriter: Eugene Kotlyarenko
Cast: Cole Sprouse, Kiko Mizuhara, Nijiro Murakami, Pierre Taki, Hio Miyazawa
US sales agent: WME
Running time: 1 hr 45 mins