Actually, Battle Royale is more like a dark comedy. The acting during violent and action scenes is way too wacky. People get shot and killed but overreact. One could argue that the movie is a satire because of its social commentary. Maybe the death scenes are wacky so that it is easily more palatable to address some of the more serious undertones about the relationship between adults and adolescents.

Well, I’d say, dont judge a book by its cover. This movie is a classic. Its not lighthearted fun if thats what you are after but it is a great movie.

If you are looking at the other end of the spectrum, I guess Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away might suit you better.

The IMDB top 100 lists are always full of pointers. https://www.imdb.com/list/ls064895701/