When Martin Scorsese or Alfonso Cuaron announce they¡¯re releasing their latest films on Netflix, it¡¯s apt to prompt hand-wringing among purists. But for Sion Sono, the arch provocateur of Japanese cinema, it¡¯s more like he has found his natural habitat.
Streaming services give Sono an opportunity to vent the darker impulses he¡¯s had to keep in check during his multiple forays into commercial filmmaking. In many ways, he¡¯s a natural fit: His trademark blend of hysterical schlock and alternately rambling and raving narratives has always felt like a drunken soap opera, making it perfect for late-night binging.
¡°The Forest of Love¡± marks his return to filmmaking after suffering a heart attack earlier this year, just two days after wife Megumi Kagurazaka gave birth to their first child. But anyone expecting a more reflective work will be quickly disabused. For better or worse, this is peak Sono: a garish, gore-drenched S&M exploitation epic that plays like a compilation of his greatest hits without ever really breaking new ground.
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