‘Shadow Work’ plumbs the depths of domestic violence — and vengeance

There’s a strong moralizing streak that cuts across borders and eras. Audiences may get a kick out of watching crimes and misdemeanors play out onscreen, but such stories typically end with a message that justice will eventually prevail. This makes Ryohei Yoshino’s “Shadow Work” unusual.

It’s a film designed for mainstream consumption that offers a queasily convincing case for vigilantism, with nary a superhero costume in sight. Moral absolutists will probably be appalled, but if you’re prepared to leave your ethical hang-ups at the door, this might be the punchiest female revenge thriller to come out of Japan since Natsuo Kirino’s “Out.”