While the title doesn’t offer much of a clue, Taniguchi Hitonori’s film is a loving homage to the work of directors like Quentin Tarantino, Tobe Hooper and Iguchi Noboru. Centring around the small community of Marukame in Kodokawa prefecture, the story follows Shinsuke as he returns home from the big city, and embroils his care-free brother (who works security at the local museum of modern art) in a complex web of chainsaw-wielding assassins and mucus-spewing villains that could threaten the lives of the entire town.

The high energy and outlandish characters draws strong comparisons with the work of Iguchi, Nishimura Yoshihiro and the rest of the Sushi Typhoon stable, but there is a degree of artistry and craftsmanship that sets Taniguchi’s film apart. From its coolly composed cinematography, to its refreshingly smart, good-natured script, MG-2416 was quick to pique my interest. Themes of home truths and small-town values, coupled with the integration of local artistry and cuisine, are juxtaposed against the playful mania of Taniguchi’s aesthetic, but instead of jarring, the results are refreshingly effective.