“Demon City” Netflix Poster
Streaming on Netflix on February 27, 2025 is Demon City, an ultra violent martial arts actioner based on the manga Oni Goroshi by Masamichi Kawabe.
Directed by Seiji Tanaka (Melancholic), Demon City stars Toma Ikuta (Beyond Goodbye) as Sakata, an an ex-hitman framed for his family’s murder and left for dead.
Just as hit man Sakata (aka Immortal Hit Man) is about to clean up his act for his family, the mysterious organization Kimen-gumi murders his wife and daughter, pinning the blame on him and sullying his name. After being shot in the head, he miraculously survives but falls into a coma. Twelve years later, the Kimen-gumi attacks him again, but his dormant killer instinct awakens, setting him on an epic course of revenge. However, what awaits him is a truth that threatens to completely alter his destiny.
Demon City features action choreography from Takashi Tanimoto, who is best known for his action-directing and stuntwork on films such as 2024’s City Hunter, 47 Ronin and Alien vs Ninja.
Co-stars include Masahiro Higashide (Creepy), Miou Tanaka (Godzilla Minus One), Ami Touma (Get Ready!), Taro Suruga (One-Percent Warrior), Mai Kiryu (Hell Dogs), Naoto Takenaka (Enter the Fat Dragon), Takuma Otoo (The Blood of Wolves), Masanobu Takashima (Assassination Classroom) and Matsuya Onoe (G-Men).
Watch a New action clip, followed by its recent Trailer below:
Yeah, this will satisfy my action junkie fix. I wish Ryuhei Kitamura and Yuji Shimamura were doing movies like this right now.
Sorry, but…fuck John Wick.
With Love Hurts getting bad reviews and flopping at the box office, fingers crossed we are coming to the end of the John Wick type movie cycle. But then I remembered Nobody 2 is coming out soon
Technically, a movie has to have the weekend before it “flops.” Maybe the outlook isn’t bright, but it will do well on streaming. I don’t care about the bad reviews from people who don’t appreciate international action.
It should also be known that Love Hurts and Demon City are not John Wick films in the same way that Jason Statham movies aren’t, or how Korean action films aren’t. People take the comparisons too far.
BUT I thought John Wick invented action cinema and every movie since 2014 owes some debt to the Citizen Kane of action movies? Also it was the author of this article bringing up John Wick in the headline for this Korean movie
John Wick’s impact was so great that it even influenced movies before it was made. I mean you only need to look at Korea’s ‘The Man from Nowhere’ to see the way it copied JW’s style of action. & yes, any mention of JW on COF should be taken with a heavy dose of sarcasm. 🙂
*yawn*
The Man from Nowhere copied Leon and Man on Fire. Not every Korean movie is original, as you seem to think so.
I’m sure you meant Japanese. Mister Bona and I don’t agree on everything either even though I enjoy shopping at his store.
Yes, John Wick films are better than any Asian action movie ever made.
Movies are always going to be subjective. The person watching gets to decide if a movie is good or bad. Its hilarious how you self-proclaimed action movie experts seem to think your opinion is fact.
I think John Wick films kick ass.
Ballerina and Nobody 2 are coming out. Also The Accountant 2.
Keep crying about it, loser.
I’ll take the John Wick films over any Asian action movie ever made and its not even close.
I checked out Demon City, and it was pretty good. It does follow the tradition of Japanese cinema where there’s slow parts, and interestingly, it’s not an action driven film. Between the opening sequence and the finale is a peppering of action scenes that go with the drama.
Tomo Ikuta’s character of Sakata is creatively portrayed as he’s not a pinpoint technical assassin and relies mostly on his machete-like weapon that he hacks up his enemies with. (If someone knows what the blade is called, tell me!)
The plot is interesting as it showcases how the villains have equal control over the local government and underworld, and they’re a cult. It’s another scary example of what happens when people in high positions of power are also gangsters.
Overall, it’s another good fix for an action junkie.