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Three... Extremes

From the Nightmares of 3 Horror Masters.

2004125 minRMidcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Directors
Takashi Miike, Park Chan-wook, Fruit Chan
Starring
Kyôko Hasegawa, Atsurô Watabe, Mai Suzuki, Yuu Suzuki

Features an anthology centred on the experiences of a witch doctor, a film-maker and a disgruntled extra determined to take revenge on him, and a novelist as well as her twin sister.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Three... Extremes?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Three... Extremes streaming on AMC+, Prime Video (free) and Shudder via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Three... Extremes?

Three... Extremes earns 8 badges, led by Top 5% in Horror and Indie breakout.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is Three... Extremes worth watching?

Three... Extremes' Midcredits score is the 79th percentile of all films, from 47K ratings across 6 sources. 69% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

79th percentile

Better received than 79% of films

97th percentile among Horror77th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)79th
Approval (how many liked it)77th

70 /100

79th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Horror79th percentile among 2000s

Critics 66 · Audience 70

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.0 — solid but not unanimous.

69% liked it

77th percentile of all films

94th percentile among Horror76th percentile among 2000s
69% rated it 7–1031% rated it 1–6

Critics 85% · Audience 76%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 3 wins / 13 noms overall

91st percentile

47K ratings across platforms

91st percentile among Horror85th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 3% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$36K
Domestic gross$78K
Worldwide gross$517K

51st percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

An anthology of three Asian horror shorts that are beautifully shot and deeply disturbing, but uneven in quality and ending satisfaction.

Fans praised

  • visually stunning with brilliant cinematography and lavish production design
  • disturbing, thought-provoking horror rooted in everyday life and human depravity
  • unique cultural perspectives and original storytelling across three distinct segments

Detractors panned

  • pretentious, incoherent endings that leave viewers confused
  • boring, slow pacing especially in Box and Dumplings
  • gratuitous gross-out without meaningful payoff

What stands out

Cinematography85

gorgeous shots, brilliant camera work, excellent use of color

OriginalityDivisive80

fresh takes on horror, though Cut compared to Saw

AtmosphereDivisive80

creepy, immersive, and haunting tone throughout

Acting75

believable performances across all three segments

Characters70

ordinary people displaying evil and depravity

Plot and storyDivisive50

hit-and-miss; some compelling premises but often confusing or weak endings

PacingDivisive40

slow and plodding in Box, uneven across segments

EndingDivisive35

confusing, unsatisfying, and often baffling conclusions

Preferred by

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 13 points higher than under-30s.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is Three... Extremes like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want to be scared.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you unsettled. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

Setting

  • Contemporary
  • Horror supernatural
  • Urban
  • Domestic

The answer rests on this: Feelings

  • Tense
  • Dread

How it leaves you

  • Unsettling
  • Haunting

What it asks of you

  • Slow burn
  • Full focus
  • Heavy
  • Ambiguous

Themes

  • Identity
  • Fate
  • Loyalty

Style

  • Cold and cerebral: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.
  • Brutal

Story

  • No archetype
what the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Scary.

Heaviest: throughout
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneEach segment is played straight with a cold, clinical detachment, allowing the horror to speak for itself.
The rideThe film maintains a consistently tense, dread-filled atmosphere from start to finish.
StructureEach segment plays out as a self-contained three-act story; the anthology format frames them sequentially.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

Why it leaves you this wayThe film's bleak, extreme imagery and moral grimness linger, leaving a deep sense of unease and psychological disturbance.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThe film is an anthology of three unrelated short horror stories, each with its own shape; there is no single plot for the archetypes to describe.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4% (this title)
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5% (this title): Fate 1% (this title) · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsFate · 1% of filmsLoyalty · 4% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe anthology explores how characters grapple with their own identities and the dark choices that define them.
StanceThe film presents its characters' struggles and moral decay without overt judgment, allowing the horror to speak for itself.

The world

AmbientExperimentalSupportive music · original score
SettingModern East Asian cities, including Hong Kong and Korea, with domestic and urban locales.

Content guide

Is Three... Extremes okay for kids?

R

Three... Extremes is rated R: “Rated R for strong disturbing violent content, some involving abortion and torture, and for sexuality and language” (MPAA). As of March 15, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (100/100), sexual content at moderate (54/100), language at moderate (58/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at severe (96/100). Its language, drug and alcohol content and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 5 other countries
  • UK18
  • Germany18
  • South Korea18
  • Hong KongIII
  • PortugalM/18
Overall
Intense · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 99%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 64%
Profanity
Moderate
too few votes to rank (8 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (8 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Severe
too few votes to rank (8 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (53 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Three... Extremes have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Three... Extremes?

Cast

Kyôko Hasegawa
as Kyoko (segment: Box)
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Atsurô Watabe
as Yoshii
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Mai Suzuki
as Kyoko (10 Yrs Old) (segment: Box)
Yuu Suzuki
as Shoko (10 Yrs Old) (segment: Box)
Mitsuru Akaboshi
as Circus Member (segment: Box)
Bai Ling
as Mei (segment: Dumplings)
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Po-Lin Lau
as Li's Maid (segment: Dumplings)
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Tony Ka Fai Leung
as Lee (segment: Dumplings)
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Meme Tian
as Connie (segment: Dumplings)
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Miriam Yeung
as Ching (segment: Dumplings)

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Three... Extremes?

Movies like Three... Extremes include Spirits of the Dead (1968), Dumplings (2004) and Reincarnation (2005). Of the 12 closest matches, several are anthology films, and several are films about fate.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

8 of these 12 share its story type: body horror. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Three... Extremes?

658 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: body horror. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.