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8th May 2024
04:30pm BST
Our TV movie pick for tonight (Wednesday, 8 May) is Battle Royale, the legendary action flick from 2000.
Based on the 1999 novel of the same name, the film follows a group of young teenagers forced to fight to the death by a Japanese totalitarian government.
"42 9th graders are sent to a deserted island. They are given a map, food, and various weapons. An explosive collar is fitted around their neck. If they break a rule, the collar explodes. Their mission: kill each other and be the last one standing," its plot synopsis reads.
"The last survivor is allowed to leave the island. If there is more than one survivor, the collars explode and kill them all."
Featuring amongst its cast Japanese acting and filmmaking icon Takeshi Kitano, Battle Royale is essentially The Hunger Games if it was way, way, way more visceral and subversive.
Despite courting controversy for the violence doled out onto its young characters, the movie was acclaimed upon release for its deeper themes about adolescence and the division between the youth and the old, along with its great performances and its hard-hitting action set-pieces.
Its reputation has only improved further in the time since. In 2009, writer-director Quentin Tarantino even described Battle Royale as the best film he had seen in the past 20 years.
The movie is airing on TV tonight on Sky Sci-Fi at 11.30pm. It is also available to stream via Sky Movies.
You can check out Battle Royale's trailer right here:
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The Shape of Water - Film4 - 11.45pm
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