After coming across Visitor Q so often while scrolling through the internet whenever disturbing movies were mentioned, I was a bit nervous about watching it. Even though I’ve seen many horror films in my life, there are still moments that really get to me. Often, these moments come out of nowhere, which makes them hit even harder. (A good example of this recently was Handling the Undead.) On the other hand, Takashi Miike has always been known for making intense stuff, but somehow it’s always entertaining. Visitor Q is no exception.

The plot of the film sounds pretty extreme on paper, but what you actually see doesn’t necessarily feel that way. As uncomfortable as the beginning is, the movie just gets funnier as it goes on. I mean, _“Have you ever been hit on the head?”_ It’s just so weird that it has to be funny. The presentation is really impressive. You’re watching something terrible, but at the same time, you somehow can’t stop yourself from giggling. It all escalates to a point where you simply can’t take it seriously anymore. And somehow, this works also inside the movie. In a bizarre and unsettling way, there’s a kind of harmony to it. Then in the next moment, you’re thinking, What the hell just happened here?!

Takashi Miike somehow manages to take the most twisted, uncomfortable situations and make them feel almost… human? It’s this strange mix of being totally messed up but also kind of heartwarming in its own bizarre way. And yeah, it’s not for everyone. But if you stick with it, you’ll probably end up thinking about it for a while after. Whether you find it brilliant or just completely insane, it’s definitely not a movie you’ll forget anytime soon.