Helter Skelter (2012)

Helter Skelter by Mika Ninagawa

Photographer turned film director, Mika Ninagawa, tonight attended Taiwan's premier of her second feature film, Helter Skelter, which just made its debut in Japan one day earlier. The director brought a great news with her: its first-day box office had beat Hollywood heavyweight, The Amazing Spider-Man.

Helter Skelter is based on a manga with the same name by Kyoko Okazaki. It focuses on a fashion icon, Lilico, played by controversial actress Erika Sawajiri. Lilico's body starts to deteriorate while she struggles to maintain her icon status. In addition to the signature colorful images constructed by the director, the film is also filled with the dark side of Lilico: selfish, greedy and manipulative. This kind of sharp contrast between the images and characters is a telling representation of the reality in modern society.

• Courtesy of  Nippon Cinema for the poster.