Helter Skelter

Lilico is a top model whose flawless appearance has made her a fixture of magazine covers, television and film. What few know is that her looks are the product of extensive cosmetic surgery performed at a private clinic. When troubling side effects from the procedures begin to surface, her carefully controlled life starts to come apart, and she turns on the people around her while slipping into a private world of nightmares.

Helter Skelter was released in Japan in 2012 and runs 127 minutes. It is a drama with horror elements, based on a popular manga, and was directed by Mika Ninagawa, whose previous feature was Sakuran in 2006; Diner followed in 2019. Arisa Kaneko wrote the screenplay, and Morio Amagi and Mitsuru Uda produced. The cast is led by Erika Sawajiri as Lilico, alongside Nao Omori, Shinobu Terajima, Go Ayano, Kiko Mizuhara and Hirofumi Arai, among 22 credited performers.

Audience response has been moderate: the film holds a rating of 6.4 out of 10 on IMDb from more than 3,100 votes, and a rating of 6.7 out of 10 on TMDB from about 175 votes. The larger IMDb sample points to a mixed but broadly favorable reception rather than a strongly positive one.