I have seen previews for Ichi the Killer and just that kind of scared me. I really want to see Battle Royale but of course they won't release it in the US.
Is there any suspense or horror film made in America in the past 10 years I should seek out? I suppose that Danny Darko is tangential to the genre and was alright (not fantastic but alright).
Ichi is very rough, brutal, and graphic at times (some of the violence is implied, some is shown, some is cartoony). I can't say it is for everyone. But I see more in that film that I ever could in the premise of seeing a bunch of people in a torture room slowly killing one another.
Battle Royale is yet another "Most Dangerous Game" knockoff. The sequel is not worth your time.