1. Gankutsuo: An exotic passion-play with a sci-fi twist; Albert is the perfect sacrificial victim and the Count is the perfect flawed monster. The classics never looked so good!
2. Election 2: And I thought Election was good! Louis Koo made me change my mind about him (good). And minced meat (bad).
3. Starfish Hotel: Dark and dreamlike, all its elements part of a deeper whole. Gorgeous and fascinating.
4. Hold up Down/Dead Run: I know it’s cheating, and that Dead Run is nothing like Hold Up Down, but you expect me to choose my favourite Sabu film? Impossible!
5. Big Bang Love: Juvenile A: Miike’s most un-Miike-like film; a little surreal, very affecting and incredibly sensual without being in any way explicit. And Ando Masanobu. There is no more to say.
Honourable mentions: The Heavenly Kings, Imprint, Isabella.