Tetsuo: The Bullet Man

Tetsuo: The Bullet Man

Year: 2009

Runtime: 71 mins

Language: English

HorrorAction

Vengeance will become his way of life When the son of an American man and a Japanese women is killed, the man transforms into Tetsuo.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Tetsuo: The Bullet Man (2009)

Trace every key event in Tetsuo: The Bullet Man (2009) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Tragedy in Tokyo: son's death

In Tokyo, Anthony's world collapses when his son dies in a car accident. The grief triggers a strange transformation in Anthony's body as he begins turning into metal. The event sets the stage for a surreal, science-infused conflict between man and machine.

Day of the accident Tokyo
2

First signs of transformation

Shortly after the accident, Anthony experiences painful metallic changes overtaking his body. The transformation progresses beyond medical explanation, hinting at something supernatural or experimental. He struggles to control this new power as it reshapes his life.

Tokyo
3

Death by a hitman and taunt

Anthony is shot dead by a hitman who is accompanied by the enigmatic Yatsu, who taunts the dead man. The shot seems to end his life, but the narrative hints that the transformation is far from over. The world of corporate and criminal plots begins to encroach on his fate.

Immediate aftermath Tokyo
4

Revival and the truth of the murder

Anthony's fury revives him, and he confronts Yatsu. It is revealed that the car accident was Yatsu's deliberate murder, the catalyst for Anthony's transformation. The line between victim and weapon becomes dangerously blurred.

Soon after the death City
5

Digital clues and a call to the father's house

Yatsu hacks into Anthony's computer, displaying cryptic scientific documents and urging him to go to his father's house. The bizarre message pushes Anthony toward uncovering the Tetsuo Project and its secrets. The digital thread ties his fate to a hidden experiment.

After the hacking Anthony's apartment
6

Secret room and family history

At his father's house, Anthony finds a secret room filled with files about the Tetsuo Project. He learns that both parents researched the project, and that his birth is tied to its experiments in a disturbing way. The revelation reframes his lineage and purpose.

After reaching the house Father's house
7

Yuriko abducted by mercenaries

Anthony's wife Yuriko arrives, but a team of heavily armed mercenaries hired to cover up the Tetsuo Project abducts her. The intrusion forces Anthony into a dangerous confrontation to protect his family. The weaponized family secret comes to light.

During the visit Home
8

Defensive power and mercy

The transformation completes and Anthony defends against the mercenaries by firing bullets from his body, yet he chooses not to kill them. The mercy contrasts with his brutal new power. Yuriko's safety remains precarious as the larger conspiracy presses in.

Following the abduction Home
9

PMC team killed by Yatsu

The injured PMC team is rescued but is promptly killed by Yatsu, who embodies the story's grotesque metal menace. This act deepens the mystery of Yatsu's motives and the higher stakes of the Tetsuo Project. The escape and aftermath intensify Anthony's resolve.

After rescue Nearby area / home
10

Despair and failed suicide

Believing he is possessed by a demon, Anthony attempts to end his life by a gun that grows from his hand, but the plan fails. He accepts that his transformation is real and dangerous, and he must learn to live with it. Yuriko and his allies prepare for the next inevitable confrontation.

After the PMC incident Home
11

Origin revealed: parents and the Tetsuo Project

Anthony and Yuriko meet his gravely wounded father, who explains that Anthony's mother, disgusted by militarization, joined the research and sought to have a child with a recreated wife. That child became Anthony, meaning both he and his late son are somehow tied to Tetsuo. Anger, not mere power, triggers the transformation.

After hospitalization Family location
12

Yatsu’s provocation and the bomb threat

The father reveals that Yatsu murdered Anthony's son and wounded his father to spur the transformation. Yatsu kidnaps Yuriko and threatens to detonate a bomb in her necklace unless Anthony shoots him. The stage is set for a deadly moral dilemma.

Before the final chase City streets
13

Giant metal form and the choice to spare

During a chase, Anthony's rage erupts into a gigantic metal beast with a cannon at its center. He envisions the city exploding if he kills Yatsu, and instead consumes Yatsu into his metal body and reverts to human form. The world narrowly avoids catastrophe, but the personal cost remains.

During the chase City streets
14

Five years later: quiet family life

Five years pass and Anthony and Yuriko have a new child, living a normal, contented life. He faces the world with calm confidence, avoiding the fury that once defined him. A distant warning still lingers in the background as he navigates daily life.

Five years later Urban setting
15

Final warning and restraint

Anthony hears Yatsu’s final ominous words and remains resolute. When a group of street thugs momentarily tests him, he passes by without letting his anger take over, signaling a hard-won peace with the monster inside him.

Five years later City street

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:07

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Cybernetic Body Horror Movies like Tetsuo: The Bullet Man

Stories where human flesh violently merges with cold, invasive technology.If you liked the visceral body horror and technological transformation in Tetsuo: The Bullet Man, explore these movies. This list features similar stories of grotesque metamorphosis, where human bodies are violently fused with machinery, creating a surreal and unsettling experience for fans of the genre.

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Narratives in this thread often begin with a personal violation or trauma that triggers a physical and psychological metamorphosis. The protagonist's body becomes a battleground, changing in horrific and uncontrollable ways. The conflict is both internal, against the loss of self, and external, against the forces that engineered the transformation.

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The narrative pattern follows a catastrophic inciting event that creates an irreparable void. The protagonist's grief quickly curdles into a blinding, all-consuming fury. Their quest for vengeance is often chaotic and self-destructive, blurring the lines between justice and ruin, and leading to a climactic confrontation that may offer a bittersweet resolution but never erases the original pain.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their exploration of grief as a catalyst for explosive action. They share a high-intensity, fast-paced structure and a dark, heavy tone. The emotional core is the protagonist's raw, unprocessed anger, which drives the plot forward with relentless, often chaotic, energy.

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Tetsuo: The Bullet Man Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Tetsuo: The Bullet Man

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Tetsuo: The Bullet Man

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