Even in 1958, Suzuki was already on the same wavelength as other future Japanese New Wave directors from the get-go.

Of course, some of them are not as strong as others and that tends to describe "Underworld Beauty" due to pacing, editing, and a story that’s already tight at 87 minutes and yet feels like it drags due to the structure.

Seijun Suzuki's surrealism, still formative but already of comical ease

Why fight it? Suzuki's urban yakuza tales are among the most outrageously enjoyable films to emerge from post-war Japan, and this stands near the best of them.