The feature, Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo, is a loose reimagining of the gritty franchise established by Abel Ferrara and Werner Herzog. The film has arrived to a lukewarm reception, with critics describing the 108-minute production as a baffling and tame entry that fails to capture the visceral madness of its predecessors.
The film stars Shun Oguri as Detective Yabuki, a police officer whose life is a downward spiral of drug addiction and mounting debt. The narrative follows Yabuki as he is forced into an uneasy partnership with an FBI agent, played by Lily James. Together, they attempt to locate the missing daughter of a U.S. Congressman, portrayed by WWE performer Liv Morgan. This central investigation is set against the backdrop of Tokyo’s criminal underworld, but critics have noted that the film’s multiple subplots rarely coalesce into a satisfying whole.
A significant portion of the film’s eccentricity is reserved for its antagonist, a Yakuza enforcer named Ishizuka (Shotaro Mamiya). Known as the “meatball killer,” Ishizuka possesses a macabre calling card: he processes his victims into food to be fed to birds. While this detail leans into surrealism, reported reviews suggest that these flashes of dark humor are overshadowed by a “muddled” execution. Critics from outlets including The Guardian and Screen Daily have labeled the film a “frustrating mess,” specifically citing a lack of the transgressive energy that defined the 1992 Harvey Keitel original or the 2009 Nicolas Cage-led Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans.
The production carries a notable legacy, produced by Sam Pressman—son of the original franchise producer Edward Pressman—alongside the late Jeremy Thomas. While the involvement of such seasoned producers and the acquisition of North American distribution rights by NEON signaled high expectations, the consensus remains that the film is a “frustrating mess” that fails to connect its multiple subplots.
Performance reviews have also been mixed. While Oguri’s portrayal of the titular lieutenant is central to the film’s identity, the script struggles to bridge the gap between a procedural thriller and a psychological character study, leaving the film struggling to find its footing.
