Tetsuo: The Iron Man

I watched Tetsuo: The Iron Man and it’s one of the strangest, loudest, and most unforgettable films I’ve ever seen. Directed by Shinya Tsukamoto, it feels less like a normal movie and more like a nightmare made of metal, noise, and madness. It was shot on a tiny budget over a long time, but that roughness gives it this strange energy. The black and white look mixed with stop-motion effects makes every scene feel like it’s moving too fast for comfort.

The story is simple but told in a chaotic, dreamlike way. A man called the Metal Fetishist tries to push a metal rod into his leg because he’s obsessed with merging flesh and metal. He gets hit by a car, and the man who hit him starts finding bits of metal growing from his own body. His skin twists, his flesh turns to iron, and his mind starts breaking. What follows is a battle between these two broken men as their bodies fuse with machines around them.

It’s not easy to follow. The plot jumps through time, mixes memories with hallucinations, and feels like one long fever dream. But that confusion is part of its power. The film isn’t about logic. It’s about how it feels to lose control of your body and your mind. The transformation scenes are shocking, full of wires, oil, and blood. Some moments have dark sexual undertones that make them even more disturbing.

What really drives the film is the sound. The pounding industrial soundtrack never stops, turning every scene into a rhythmic assault. It reminded me of Eraserhead and Videodrome, but much faster and louder. Despite being over thirty years old, the effects still look amazing. The stop-motion gives everything this strange, twitching motion that fits the mechanical theme perfectly.

It’s definitely not for everyone. The story barely makes sense, and the constant noise and flashing images can be exhausting. But that chaos feels deliberate. Tsukamoto clearly wanted to make a film that attacks your senses. It’s funny in a few moments, but mostly it’s intense and disturbing. Watching it feels like being trapped inside a machine that’s coming alive.

When it ended, I wasn’t sure if I liked it or just survived it. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it. For such a short film, it leaves a deep mark. Tetsuo: The Iron Man is pure, raw cinema. Wild, creative, and completely original. It’s not a film you watch for comfort. It’s one you experience, and once you do, you never forget it.