Anyone stumbling unawares into a screening of “The Killer Goldfish” at K2, a dinky independent cinema in Tokyo’s Shimokitazawa neighborhood, would be forgiven for assuming it’s an archetypal midnight movie — one of those schlocky, low-budget productions made for cult infamy rather than commercial success.

Superficially, this loopy tale of murderous pets and esoteric evolutionary theory bears the hallmarks of a true outsider effort, complete with a no-name star and a single-screen theatrical release. But look closer and the figure at the helm isn’t some aspiring auteur: It’s Yukihiko Tsutsumi, a veteran director whose recent output includes mainstream fare such as “First Love” (2021) and “12 Suicidal Teens” (2019).

There’s nothing wrong with an established filmmaker going back to their roots, of course (as Tsutsumi himself did with black-and-white homelessness drama “My House” in 2012). However, “The Killer Goldfish” has a more ambitious goal in mind. It’s the first feature produced by Super Sapienss, a project Tsutsumi started with fellow old-timers Katsuyuki Motohiro and Yuichi Sato with the aim of upending the Japanese film industry.