Detour: Sympathy For the Underdog

Take a sharp turn into the unknown with our "Detour" series featuring genre faves, cult classics, unsung gems and more.

Japanese auteur Kinji Fukusaku (BATTLE ROYALE, BATTLES WITHOUT HONOR AND HUMANITY) brings impeccable action sequences and grime-soaked maverick filmmaking to his early masterpiece SYMPATHY FOR THE UNDERDOG.

A recently released yakuza boss returns home to find a new gang has claimed his old territory and his old compatriots scattered to the winds. Hungry for a fresh start, he moves his remaining forces to the seemingly promising island of Okinawa, only to face harsh reminders that the path to power is always a bloody one. Invoking the spirits of William Friedkin and Sam Peckinpah with its tough and stark beauty, SYMPATHY FOR THE UNDERDOG is an unmistakable classic from an unparalleled Japanese artist.