Outrage
Magnolia Films | Release Date: December 2, 2011 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
67
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
6
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
VarietyRob NelsonNov 27, 2011
Focusing on the absurdly ultraviolent tit-for-tat tussles among a trio of Tokyo crime families, the film is a beautifully staged marvel that confidently reasserts Kitano's considerable cinematic gifts. Read full review
88
Slant MagazineJesse CataldoNov 28, 2011
It's a brilliant reversal that, while seemingly far less inspired than most of the director's efforts, leaves us with a film that's just as iconoclastic. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesMark OlsenDec 1, 2011
Though it may at times seem like just another Japanese gangster picture, in Outrage, Kitano's sense of pacing is so precise, at once restrained and relentless, that the film becomes a vortex, pulling audiences in deeper and deeper. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternDec 1, 2011
His (Takeshi) sense of style is very much in evidence here, and so is his sense of humor. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterMaggie LeeNov 27, 2011
As violent, amoral and misanthropic as a Jacobean play, Outrage is Takeshi Kitano's first yakuza flick since "Brother" (2000), and arguably his best film in a decade. Read full review
75
New York PostV.A. MusettoDec 2, 2011
The editing (by Kitano) and lensing are stylish and guaranteed to keep viewers hooked through the final rubout. Read full review
75
IndieWireEric KohnDec 1, 2011
On the one hand, Outrage suffers from a cold removal from the events portrayed onscreen, mainly a series of arguments and gory acts of retribution. It's often a terrible bore. But the stylish execution renders many moments into imminently watchable pastiche. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderBen SachsJan 5, 2012
Kitano is clearly enjoying his powers as a master of the form, and the movie invites the viewer to share in his enjoyment. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriDec 27, 2011
Even when a guy is getting stabbed in the ear with a chopstick, Outrage is so controlled you're liable to go mad watching it. Somehow both stifling and beautiful, it's the Salo of Yakuza pictures. Read full review
70
The New York TimesManohla DargisDec 1, 2011
Not everything is as elegantly executed, including a tiresome, would-be comic subplot involving an African diplomat and a clandestine casino that drags the story down badly and comes close to noxious racial stereotype. Read full review
70
Village VoiceNick PinkertonNov 29, 2011
Like one of its yakuza bigs, Outrage commands respect but no affection. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertJan 4, 2012
It is also a film of controlled visual style; Kitano's compositions are like arrangements of bodies in space and time. That said, and with all due respect, I expected a better time. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeTy BurrDec 8, 2011
The filmmaking is cool, watchful, and ultimately too distanced. Outrage isn't outrageous enough, and it hurts. Read full review
60
NPRScott TobiasDec 2, 2011
The good news about Outrage, his grisly return to the genre, is that Kitano doesn't have to shake the rust off - his impeccable compositions and clean, minimalist sound design are still calibrated for maximum impact. Even as dozens of bodies pile up, each act of violence feels as bracing as the sound of a gunshot ripping through the night air. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanDec 1, 2011
The primary response he's (Kitano) seeking seems best expressed by one typically ill-fated player: "What the hell … ?" Read full review
60
Time OutDavid FearNov 29, 2011
At its best, Outrage offers a meat-and-potatoes look at an age when battles of honor and humanity are AWOL in yakuza society. As things wind toward the inevitable hierarchical breakdown, however, the movie too often resembles a repetitive cycle of tough guys shouting, shooting and shuffling off this mortal coil. Read full review
50
St. Louis Post-DispatchCalvin WilsonDec 16, 2011
On its own terms and against all odds, "Outrage" is adequately entertaining, with more than enough cringe-inducing violence and cruel humor to please the average American moviegoer. But true Kitano fans will find its title sadly ironic. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleAmy BiancolliDec 8, 2011
Many scenes in Outrage are crisply filmed and stylish enough, as serial assassinations go. But the film doesn't add up to much. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubKeith PhippsDec 1, 2011
Outrage is compelling to watch until it becomes exhausting. Read full review
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