Tetsuo: The Bullet Man
A grieving father turns his body into a weaponized machine in an abrasive cyberpunk descent through rage, mutation, and revenge.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- visceral
- frantic
- oppressive
- late night cult cinema
- experimental horror marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film audiovisually forceful but undermined by a familiar plot, weak dialogue and acting, and uneven execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Anthony's body develops cold metal protrusions and weaponry as his grief and rage intensify.
Critics specifically praised the frantic editing, harsh visuals, and loud sound and music.
Anthony responds to Tom's death by allowing pain and rage to trigger his biomechanical transformation.
The film's cyberpunk premise centers on an American-Japanese white-collar worker becoming a weaponized human-machine hybrid.
Films like Tetsuo: The Bullet Man, and why
Tetsuo: The Iron Man
shared cyberpunk body transformation, industrial imagery, and confrontational body horror
Tetsuo II: Body Hammer
shared biomechanical mutation, frantic audiovisual style, and visceral science fiction horror
964 Pinocchio
shared cyberpunk dystopian atmosphere, violent technological metamorphosis, and alienated protagonists
Videodrome
shared avant-garde body horror, mechanical flesh imagery, and extreme audiovisual intensity
Movie Details
- Director
- Shinya Tsukamoto
- Release Date
- 2010-02-27
- Runtime
- 71 min
- Rating
- 5.4 / 10 (86)
Cast
- Eric Bossick
- Akiko Monou
- Yuko Nakamura
- Stephen Sarrasin
- Tiger Charlie Gerhardt
- Prakhar Jain
- Shinya Tsukamoto
- Mike Duncan
- Alan Koji
- Sou Fujita
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Eternal Family, Full Moon Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Tetsuo: The Bullet Man about?
- A grieving father turns his body into a weaponized machine in an abrasive cyberpunk descent through rage, mutation, and revenge.
- What is Tetsuo: The Bullet Man like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Tetsuo: The Bullet Man as breakneck, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Tetsuo: The Bullet Man violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Tetsuo: The Bullet Man as graphic.
- What did critics think of Tetsuo: The Bullet Man?
- Critics broadly found the film audiovisually forceful but undermined by a familiar plot, weak dialogue and acting, and uneven execution.
- Which films are like Tetsuo: The Bullet Man?
- Films with a similar feel include Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Tetsuo II: Body Hammer, 964 Pinocchio, and Videodrome.
- How long is Tetsuo: The Bullet Man?
- Tetsuo: The Bullet Man runs 71 minutes.
- Where can I watch Tetsuo: The Bullet Man?
- In United States, Tetsuo: The Bullet Man streams on Eternal Family, Full Moon Amazon Channel.
