ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Joseph Perry writes for the film websites Gruesome Magazine, The Scariest Things, Horror Fuel, The Good, the Bad and the Verdict and Diabolique Magazine; for the film magazines Phantom of the Movies’ VideoScope and Drive-In Asylum; and for the pop culture websites When It Was Cool and Uphill Both Ways. He is also one of the hosts of When It Was Cool’s exclusive Uphill Both Ways podcast and can occasionally be heard as a cohost on Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror: The Classic Era podcast.

Official synopsis: Once upon a time, Yuri was one of Japan’s deadliest assassins, but she’s retired now and spends her days running an underground brothel. A news report about a former colleague who has died under mysterious circumstances doesn’t quite sit right. The dead man’s son is now the target of a military manhunt, and Yuri will do whatever it takes to keep him safe.

 You’ll come for the plentiful action and intrigue but you’ll stay for the great acting, splendid cinematography, and gorgeous period costumes and set design with director Isao Yukisada’s Japanese film Revolver Lily, set in 1924 Tokyo. The army and navy are at odds with each other over a large sum of money for which a third party has different plans (I won’t spoil the details here).

For an anti-war film, Revolver Lily is heavy on the gunplay and martial arts combat. The action is choreographed well, and star Haruka Ayase is terrific in the lead role of Yuri Ozone, a former spy and assassin who has tried to leave her past behind her. Action film devotees know that this never works in the genre. Ozone is often stoic until it comes time to kick butt, and Ayase nails both the dramatic and physical requirements of the role. She was nominated for Best Actress at the 2024 Japanese Academy Awards for her work in the title role, and rightfully so.

The supporting players are also solid, including Jinsei Hamura as Shinta, a young orphan boy with all kinds of dangerous people on his tail; Hiroki Hasegawa as Ozone’s confidant Iwami; and Kotone Furukawa and Kavka Shishido as two employees at the brothel that Ozone runs. Loads of other renowned actors are also featured — too many to name here as the cast is quite sizable. 

Yukisada helms Revolver Lily masterfully. It’s a slow burner that runs 2 hours and 19 minutes, but the film is so well crafted and acted that you won’t be checking your watch at any point. Strongly recommended for cinephiles of all stripes.    

Revolver Lily, from Well Go USA, receives a digital release on January 27, 2026 and lands on Blu-ray and DVD exclusively through Amazon on February 10.