It’s easier to define what R100 isn’t than what it is. First of all, despite the presence of ninja dominatrices, it’s not a steamy thriller, and the raincoat crowd should apply elsewhere.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
Village Voice by Amy Nicholson
You'd expect more yucks from the country that bequeathed tentacle porn unto the world.
The Hollywood Reporter by Deborah Young
A film whose very surreal, disturbing first hour dissolves in disappointing B-movie nonsense at the end. Still it’s hard to remember a film about S&M as funny as this one, or one as beautifully and weirdly imagined.
Slant Magazine by James Lattimer
The set pieces follow their own insane, unstoppable logic, with each new twist yielding its own outré surprises.
The New York Times by Manohla Dargis
Mr. Matsumoto, as if realizing that viewers might need to wake up, stuffs a ball gag in a child’s mouth and throws in some reflexive nonsense involving an old director and some critics who seem to be watching the same movie you are. They think it’s terrible and finally it’s hard to disagree.
Austin Chronicle by Marc Savlov
Heady stuff, indeed, but perfect midnight-date movie fare if you’re, uh, in the mood.
Los Angeles Times by Martin Tsai
The film's stark juxtaposition of domestic melodrama and gonzo exploitation is very much reminiscent of "Audition." Whereas the Miike film turned into a feverish anxiety dream about feminist revolt, R100 suggests that extreme and perverse films allow the everyman to seek thrills in his otherwise-monotonous life.
The Playlist by Nikola Grozdanovic
As compelling as R100 is in spurts, it's ultimately an exercise in excessiveness that only a niche audience will be able to fully stomach.
In keeping with the S&M theme, Matsumoto keeps changing R100’s direction, defying the audience in hopes of providing a more perverse kick. Often, the results are astonishing.
If a dominatrix is one who takes total control of her passive partner, then R100 is the cinematic equivalent of a kinky femme fatale in black leather and stiletto heels, cracking a whip and a smile.