A Certain Killer/A Killer's Key: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Japan, 1967 (A Certain Killer, A Killer's Key)
Director: Kazuo Mori (Both Films)
Cast: Raizô Ichikawa, Mikio Narita, Yumiko Nogawa, Asao Koike, Yukiko Kobayashi, Mayumi Nagisa, Jôtarô Senba, Saburô Date, Tatsuo Matsushita (A Certain Killer), Raizô Ichikawa, Ichirô Nakatani, Kô Nishimura, Tomomi Satô, Isao Yamagata, Yoshio Kaneuchi, Asao Uchida, Saburô Date, Kôichi Itô (A Killer's Key)

Release Date: February 10th, 2025 (UK), February 11th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Times: 81 Minutes 53 Seconds (A Certain Killer), 79 Minutes 11 Seconds (A Killer's Key)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: 12 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"In A Certain Killer, Shiozaki's low-profile existence as a chef at a local sushi restaurant serves as a front for his true job as a professional assassin whose modus operandi is poisoned needles. He's approached by Maeda, a low-ranking member of a local yakuza group, to take out a rival gang boss. But the sudden arrival into his life of a spirited young woman, Keiko (Yumiko Nogawa, Gate of Flesh), has dramatic ramifications on his relationship with his new employer. Ichikawa's lone wolf assassin is back in A Killer's Key, this time masquerading as a traditional dance instructor named Nitta who is called in to avert a potential financial scandal that threatens to engulf a powerful yakuza group with ties to powerful figures in the political establishment." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5 (A Certain Killer, A Killer's Key)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "A Certain Killer and A Killer's Key are both presented in their original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 with mono audio. The high definition masters were provided by Kadokawa.

Additional picture remastering work was completed by R3Store Studios, London. Additional audio remastering work was completed by Þorsteinn Gislason."

A Certain Killer and A Killer's Key come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.8 GB

Feature: 20.7 GB (A Certain Killer),20 GB (A Killer's Key)

The sources for each film are in great shape; colors look correct, image clarity, and black levels are strong, compression is solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 3.75/5 (A Certain Killer), 4/5 (A Killer's Key)

Each film comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese; both films come with removable English subtitles. Both audio tracks have background hiss; it is more noticeable on A Killer's Key. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise both audio tracks are satisfactory.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery for A Certain Killer (10 stills), a theatrical trailer for A Certain Killer (2 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), an image gallery for A Killer's Key (14 stills), a theatrical trailer for A Killer's Key (2 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), an introduction to A Certain Killer and A Killer's Key by Japanese film scholar Mark Roberts titled The Definite Murderer (32 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film critic and Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns for A Certain Killer, an audio commentary with Tony Rayns for A Killer's Key, reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to the first pressing), and a 28-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled The Spirit of ‘67:  A Certain Killer, A Killer's Key and the Global Hitman Craze written by Jasper Sharp, an essay titled Detachment and Charisma: The Seductive Refusal of Raizô Ichikawa written by Earl Jackson, and information about the transfers. 

Summary:

A Certain Killer and A Killer's Key were both directed by Kazuo Mori, whose other notable films are The Tale of Zatoichi Continues, Shinobi: Resurrection, Zatoichi and the Doomed Man, Wrath of Daimajin, and Zatoichi at Large. A Certain Killer and A Killer's Key were both co-written by Yasuzô Masumura, a filmmaker in his own right known for Giants and Toys, Afraid to Die, Irezumi, The Red Angel, and Blind Beast.

A Certain Killer: A man working as a chef is really an assassin who is hired by a yakuza clan to kill a rival clan's boss.

Though A Certain Killer takes place in the present, it is essentially a samurai film set in modern times. The protagonist, Nitta, is a ronin who has no allegiance to anyone, and he mostly works alone. Despite his best intentions to never allow anyone to get close to him, a troublemaker named Keiko latches on to him after an act of kindness.

Though there is a familiarity to the story unfolding, its narrative's non-linear structure greatly enhances it. The protagonist Nitta’s backstory is fully fleshed out via a series of flashbacks. The flashbacks are designed to hold characters' deceptions back for maximum effect.

The protagonist, Shiozaki, is meticulous in his planning; every detail is laid out perfectly. Even the apartment near a graveyard that he’s staying at for his job is a strategic location. That said, even a perfect plan can go awry when two of the three are working against the other partner.

The performances are all excellent; especially Yumiko Nogawa (Gate of Flesh) who portrays a femme fatale named Keiko. Keiko is an opportunist who quickly attaches herself to whoever has the most to offer her. The other performance of note is Raizô Ichikawa (An Actor's Revenge), who portrays a hitman named Shiozaki. He delivers a superb performance of a character who always anticipates his opponent's next move.

Though Kazuo Mori’s direction well suits the story that unfolds, one has to wonder how A Certain Killer would have turned out if directed by Yasuzô Masumura. Where Kazuo Mori is a workmanlike director whose films, like the performances, take center stage, Yasuzô Masumura is a filmmaker known for creating visually arresting moments. A Certain Killer’s most striking moment is a graveyard brawl finale.

From its opening moments; A Certain Killer's meticulously laid out narrative draws you in. A lot happens in just 82 minutes; things move quickly, and the narrative does a phenomenal job building momentum. Composer Hajime Kaburagi (Tokyo Drifter) delivers a solid score that reinforces the mood. Ultimately, A Certain Killer is a well-executed crime film that succeeds because of the two aforementioned performances.

A Killer's Key: A former hitman who is now working as a dance instructor is lured back by a yakuza clan that wants him to kill a witness that can expose them.

Despite having a similar scenario and a protagonist who has a career as a cover for his work as an assassin, A Killer's Key is not a direct sequel to A Certain Killer. This time around, the narrative revolves around a hitman who has long left his former life behind. Though he completes the hit without any complications, those who hired him try to have him killed.

All around, the performances are excellent, especially Raizô Ichikawa (Sleepy Eyes of Death), who portrays an assassin named Nitta. His character mirrors that one that he portrayed in A Certain Killer. Another performance of note is Tomomi Satô (Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell), who portrays Hideko, a young woman whose dance teacher is Nitta. Just like the female protagonist in A Certain Killer, Hideko is an opportunistic character.

Visually, A Killer's Key is a more stylish film than A Certain Killer. The two most striking moments are a scene in a swimming pool where Nitta uses the other swimmers as cover as he kills his target and a scene where Nitta gets inside of Hideko’s apartment unnoticed; he’s waiting for one of the men who hired an assassin to kill him.

Unlike its predecessor, A Killer's Key’s narrative is linear. The narrative is well-executed, things move quickly, and it does a superb job building towards a very satisfying finale. The score, composed by Hajime Kaburagi (By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him), does an exemplary job heightening the mood. Ultimately, despite its similarities to A Certain Killer, A Killer's Key is so much more than a rehash; it is a film that stands well on its own.

A Certain Killer and A Killer's Key gets a solid release from Arrow Video that comes with strong audio/video presentations and insightful extras, highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer