Official synopsis
A racist corporation is looking to expand its territories of domination and for that it needs to destroy the Yakuza mafia. It is then that a transgender woman suddenly appears willing to defend the Yakuza tradition.
Review
If you subscribe to the saying “If it doesn’t splatter, it doesn’t matter” or if you go in for absurd levels of violent lunacy, writer/director Yoshihiro Nishimura of Tokyo Gore Police and Meatball Machine Kodoku infamy once again has you covered. This time he brings his low-budget fear-fare madness to Holy Mother, which is destined to delight his fans and offend some viewers who have no idea what they are in for.
Transgender actress Anna Nagasaki is a mute assassin who also has mystical healing powers, which leads to the poverty-stricken Chinese people in Japan who she heals and helps to consider her the titular Maria. At odds with her are the vicious Hime (Eihi Shiina of Audition and Tokyo Gore Police) — the character lets the racist terms fly freely, though overall Nishimura defends the transplanted Chinese characters in his own way — and her outlandish accomplices.
Nagasaki’s performance is as subdued as Shiina’s is over the top. The former is probably the only subtle aspect of Holy Mother. The practical effects are impressive, especially considering the lower budget on which the film was made. Nishimura has a style, and viewers of his previous films will know exactly what to expect, while my advice to newcomers is buckle up.
Admittedly, I’m not the target audience for this type of film, but I did find it bizarrely entertaining enough to give it a recommendation for viewers looking for something that goes all-in on the frenetic, cartoonish violence and gore along with the manic mayhem and general weirdness.
Holy Mother is available everywhere on VOD and DVD/Blu-ray.
