Three... Extremes
Lions Gate Films | Release Date: October 28, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
66
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
6
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Film ThreatEric Campos
So here it is, an arena rock type film event for lovers of Asian cinema. Good news is that you won’t have that annoying ringing in your ears the day after. Better news is that you’ll have food for thought way after witnessing these spectacles. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
What all three of these stories share is the quality found in Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King: An attention to horror as it emerges from everyday life as transformed by fear, fantasy and depravity. Read full review
83
Portland OregonianMike Russell
There's a sense of diminishing returns here -- "Extremes" leads with its strongest short and ends with its most esoteric. But all three offer provocative, distinct and gorgeous twists on horror and splatter conventions. Read full review
80
Village VoiceMichael Atkinson
A black-blooded hoot. Read full review
80
Washington PostStephen Hunter
Like a bouquet of poisoned flowers -- beautiful, delicate and lethal. A trio of horror films from three "extreme" Asian directors, it shows how much evil fun talented bad boys can have on a very small scale. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Might also be the best date movie ever, depending on your idea of a good time. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
Don't expect scary from this trilogy of short horror films from a trio of Asia's most interesting directors, which are not so much extreme as twisted. Read full review
75
New York PostV.A. Musetto
The three-part anthology opens with its best shot, Hong Kong fruitcake Fruit Chan's "Dumplings," photographed by the great Christopher Doyle. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
Blood, grotesquerie and humor mix equally in the first two, but the full combo makes a savory witches' brew for Asian-cinema cultists (or Halloween lovers in need of a gore fix). Read full review
75
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
While most anthology films have one standout and one weak link, all three tales are short, sharp shockers -- there should be at least one for every taste. Read full review
70
VarietyDavid Rooney
Plenty of vile little secrets and ghastly urges are explored in the stylishly made Asian-fusion horror triptych. Read full review
70
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
Few directors are as "extreme" as Miike, but ironically, his entry in Three... Extremes is the least explicit; its suggestive tale of envy and guilt resembles Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" more than Miike's usual six-per-year gorefests. Read full review
70
Dallas ObserverBill Gallo
Connoisseurs of horror are bound to play favorites here (this amateur votes for Box), but there's one more thing that connects these three films--the brilliant cinematography of Christopher Doyle. Read full review
70
The New York TimesLawrence Van Gelder
Though Three ... Extremes may seem tame to jaded fans of what has been termed New Asian Horror, it serves as a fine introduction to the genre for those who are curious but squeamish. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
A bloody strange movie--and a surprise. Who would have thought that you could put together an anthology of "extreme" Asian horror featurettes by three cutting-edge Asian directors where the most tasteful, restrained contribution was the one by Japanese mad dog moviemaker Takashi Miike? Read full review
63
Boston GlobeTy Burr
Gore fans will want to bump the two-and-a-half-star rating up a star, whereas those who can't handle on-screen violence will want to stay the hell away. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterRichard James Havis
The result falls somewhere between psychodrama and horror. Cult cinema fans should come away satisfied, though the stories are probably too brutal to reach much into the mainstream. Read full review
50
L.A. WeeklyBen Kenigsberg
Title notwithstanding, Three . . . Extremes really offers only two. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
"Cut" is the most interesting of the three shorts because Park uses the opportunity to take stock of his career and the excruciating cruelty of his movies. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen Johnson
One is haunting and wonderful, one is very good, and one spoils the fun. Read full review
42
Entertainment WeeklyGregory Kirschling
Another pulpy Creepshow movie would be more welcome than a second installment of this stiff stuff. Read full review
40
Los Angeles TimesKevin Crust
All three look great and the filmmakers deliver a certain artiness, but their overall triviality and the unpleasantness of the first two make for an extremely distasteful experience. Read full review
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