An American film adaptation starring Christopher Abbott and Mia Wasikowska, directed by Nicolas Pesce, was released in 2019.

Piercing is set in Tokyo and follows Kawashima Masayuki trying to come to terms with his overwhelming desire to stab his infant child with an ice pick.

"...a haunting Japanese version of a David Lynch nightmare"[1] - Chris Petit, Guardian Book Review.

"Far from being a cheap gorefest, ‘Piercing’ handles its violence with controlled aplomb, making it seem a natural by-product of Tokyo’s economic dominance.

With simple language and vividly evoked images, the novel looks at a single moment of horror from every angle.