Ken and Joji (Aizawa Shō and Shishido Jō) have been hired to investigate a robbery as well as kill a cop named Sakai. Doing so will test their friendship in this film from director and writer Yasuharu Hasebe (Stray Cat Rock: Delinquent Girl Boss, Female Prisoner Scorpion: #701 Grudge Song).

With a non-linear narrative and older and younger hired killers paired together years before Pulp Fiction, this tells the story of two men who will kill anyone in their way before one of them is obsessed with a photo found in the hands of one of his victims. This leads to one of those noir “don’t ask what you don’t want to know” narratives, as everyone they meet is untrustworthy at best and murderous at worst. Crime doesn’t pay, except here, it ends up that way, even if it’s not for everyone.

The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses is just one of the movies in the Arrow Video V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets & Betrayal set. The set includes a newly filmed introduction by Japanese film critic Masak Tanioka and a video essay by critic and Japanese cinema expert James Balmont. You can get this from MVD.