Nostalgia Kinky

I’m hugely impressed and taken with the 2012 Japanese film Helter Skelter, which 88 Films has just released as a striking special limited-edition Blu-ray. Beautifully directed by the great photographer Mika Ninagawa, Helter Skelter is amongst the most haunting films I’ve seen in recent memory and a clear inspiration point for Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance (2024). With its breathtakingly bold use of color, fantastically gorgeous cast, and forward-looking cultural eye, Helter Skelter is an astonishing film, vibrant and vivid.

Based on a Kyoko Okazaki written manga, Helter Skelter tells the story of Lilico, an ugly-duckling surgically transformed into one of the most beautiful and famous women in the world. When it becomes apparent that the surgeries have been both illegal and unethical, Lilico’s grip on reality and her identity begin to fall apart. Starring famed actress/model/musician Erika Sawajiri, Helter Skelter is an intense film focused on the sick and twisted ways capitalism corrupts in the name of ‘beauty’.

Nao Omori and Kiko Mizuhara join Sawajiri in an impressively cast film, featuring both veterans and newcomers. Mizuhara is especially unforgettable as the up-and-coming Kozue, who seems as eager to take Lilico’s place as she is to hurry up whatever personal tragedy that awaits her. Ultimately, it is Sawajiri who most impresses, appearing in nearly every moment of this 127-minute film.

Widely acclaimed for her photography, Ninagawa made her cinematic debut with Sakuran (2006). Helter Skelter was the dream project, taking more than half a decade before premiering in 2012. Ninagawa turns out to be as forceful behind a film camera as she is taking stills. Helter Skelter is a beautifully composed and directed film, with so much thought put into every aspect from the film’s bold production design to its striking use of eye-popping color.

A body-horror adjacent production, Helter Skelter isn’t an overly gory film, although there is an undercurrent of violence always just below its surface. Highly sexual and jittery, Helter Skelter is a disturbing portrait of a disturbing culture, a thoughtful critique of a soulless industry. What makes it all the more penetrating is that three of its central figures, Ninagawa, Sawajiri, and Mizuhara, were all more than familiar with the crushing beauty standards of the entertainment world, so Helter Skelter is very much an in-house takedown.

Helter Skelter feels especially current, so much so that I kept having to remind myself that the film is nearly 15 years old. This is simultaneously down to how trailblazing Helter Skelter is, as well as to the general stagnation of modern culture as it becomes homogenized and monopolized by the very attitudes this film warns about.

Helter Skelter stumbles slightly in its final section, as Ninagawa can’t quite seem to decide where to conclude the film. A bit overlong as well, Helter Skelter is still an incredibly impressive achievement for Ninagawa and her entire team. I can’t wait to watch this again.

88 Films’ really fine limited Blu-ray edition of Helter Skelter features a beautiful print, dynamic sound, a lengthy book, and hours of extra features. Supplements include cast and crew interviews, behind-the-scenes rolls, premiere footage, press conferences, and a new audio commentary from Tori Potenza and Amber T. It is an impressive package for an exceptional work of art. Highly, highly recommended.

-Jeremy Richey, March 2026-

Order the essential Helter Skelter direct from 88 Films or here in the States from MVD.