'Broken Rage' to premiere at Venice International Film Festival

Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Prime Video's Broken Rage will premiere at the Venice International Film Festival in September -- a milestone for a Japanese movie created for a streaming platform.

"Redefining the norms of the genre, the first half follows a hitman, Nezumi (played by Takeshi Kitano), fighting for his survival when he's caught between the police and yakuza," an official synopsis reads. "But in the second half, the gritty crime-action thriller takes an unexpected turn, evolving into a self-parodying comedy that retells the same story with a captivatingly humorous touch."

The contrast that writer, director and star Takeshi Kitano explored in this work presented unique challenges for the cast.

"When I first read the script, I felt this was a new creative direction for him, quite different from his previous work," Nat Omori, who stars in the film, said in a press release. "And I wasn't sure how to approach it. But on set, despite the intensity, there was still laughter, with familiar excellent atmosphere you get on one of Kitano's sets."

In addition to Omori, Tadanobu Asano ( Shogun ), Shidō Nakamura, Hakuryu, Takashi Nishina, So Kaku, Gekidan Hitori, Masanori Hasegawa, Azusa Babazono and Mogura Suzuki star.

Broken Rage will premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, which strives to "raise awareness and promote international cinema in all its forms," on Sept. 6.

Kitano previously won the Golden Lion at Venice for his 1997 film Hana-bi . His other works as a director include Boiling Point and the Outrage trilogy.