With the underground film “Tetsuo: The Iron Man” (1989), writer/director/actor Shinya Tsukamoto broke out into the global cult cinema scene. Made on a shoestring budget and drawing influences from cyberpunk sci-fi and anime such as “Akira”, Tetsuo depicts a man’s transformation into a machine as his psychological state rapidly deteriorates. Two later “sequels”, “Tetsuo II: Body Hammer” (1992) and “Tetsuo: The Bullet Man” (2009) are variations of the same plot with progressively larger budgets and artistic ambition.

Tetsuo: The Iron Man

Tetsuo II: Body Hammer

Tetsuo: The Bullet Man