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Tetsuo: The Iron Man

1989·Movie
1h 7min·NR
IMDb6.9Rotten Tomatoes78%76%

Where to watch

KanopyNight Flight+AsianCrushCineverseMidnight PulpARROW

Links go to licensed services. Data from JustWatch and TMDB.

What's your score?

Your score

Tetsuo: The Iron Man fingerprint

Relentless energy, stunning style, emotionally cool.

Energy

Nerve-racking and breakneck

Fast from start to finish.

  • Tension9
  • Fast Pace9
  • Violence9

Heart

Emotionally reserved

  • Melancholy6
  • Pathos3
  • Catharsis2

Humor

Plenty of absurdist humor and cringe comedy

  • Absurdist Humor8
  • Cringe Humor7
  • Dark Humor7

World

The mind, technology, and the future

Lived-in and easy to get lost in. Holds up on a rewatch.

  • Novelty10
  • World Immersion9
  • Rewatchability8

Craft

Standout direction and performances

  • Direction10
  • Acting8
  • Intrigue7

Style

Standout visual style, sound design, and cinematography

A distinctive visual signature.

  • Visual Stylization10
  • Sound Centrality10
  • Cinematography9

Who it's for

AdultsFriends NightPartner WatchSolo WatchThought-Provoking

Skip it if

You need an uplifting moodGraphic violence bothers youYou scare easily

Find more like it

Scary moviesVisually Stunning movies

Based on the GoodWatch fingerprint: our scores for 70+ attributes of every movie. Select a row to see all of them.

About

A "metal fetishist", driven mad by the maggots wriggling in the wound he's made to embed metal into his flesh, runs out into the night and is accidentally run down by a Japanese businessman and his girlfriend. The pair dispose of the corpse in hopes of quietly moving on with their lives. However, the businessman soon finds that he is now plagued by a vicious curse that transforms his flesh into iron.
Cult Body HorrorIndustrial CyberpunkVisually RadicalDisturbing TransformationAvant-GardeNoise AestheticsPsychological NightmareFast-Paced AnarchyJapanese Experimental Cinema

Crew

Directed by:
Shinya Tsukamoto, Nobu Kanaoka, Shozin Fukui
Written by:
Shinya Tsukamoto
Produced by:
Shinya Tsukamoto
Composed by:
Chu Ishikawa

Sequels and Prequels

GoodWatch74
Poster for Tetsuo: The Iron Man

Media

Questions about Tetsuo: The Iron Man

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Tetsuo: The Iron Man legally?

KanopyNight Flight+AsianCrushCineverseMidnight PulpARROW

Tetsuo: The Iron Man is included with a subscription to Night Flight+, AsianCrush, Midnight Pulp, and ARROW in the United States. You can watch it free with ads on Kanopy and Cineverse. You can also rent or buy it from Apple TV, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. All links in Where to Watch go to these licensed services.

Is Tetsuo: The Iron Man worth watching?

74
GoodGoodWatch score

Mostly. It's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 75/100 (IMDb 6.9 and Rotten Tomatoes 78%). The GoodWatch score combines critic and audience ratings.

What is Tetsuo: The Iron Man rated?

NRViolenceNuditySexual contentDisturbing imagery

It's rated NR in the United States. Content advisories: violence, nudity, sexual content, and disturbing imagery.

How long is Tetsuo: The Iron Man?

1 h 7 min

Tetsuo: The Iron Man runs 1 h 7 min.

Do critics and audiences agree on Tetsuo: The Iron Man?

Critics78
Audiences73

Yes. Critics average 78 and audiences 73 out of 100, so both groups see Tetsuo: The Iron Man much the same way.

What language is Tetsuo: The Iron Man in?

Japanese

It was made in Japanese. Produced in Japan.

In how many countries can I watch Tetsuo: The Iron Man?

16BECADKFIFRGBHKIEITJPKRNLNOSE+2

GoodWatch finds legal streaming, rental, or purchase options for Tetsuo: The Iron Man in 16 countries. Pick any of them in Where to Watch to see the local services.

What tropes does Tetsuo: The Iron Man use?

Jitter CamArm CannonTwo-FacedGame OverTank GoodnessHuman WeaponWoobie, Destroyer of WorldsR-Rated OpeningPrimal FearSurreal HorrorFor the EvulzActionized Sequeland 84 more

TV Tropes lists 96 storytelling tropes for Tetsuo: The Iron Man, including Jitter Cam, Arm Cannon, Two-Faced.