Hideo Sako

Ichi the Killer (2001)

As sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Takashi Miike
CAST:  Tadanobu Asano  •  Nao Omori  •  Shinya Tsukamoto  •  Paulyn Sun

As sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Takashi Miike
CAST:  Tadanobu Asano  •  Nao Omori  •  Shinya Tsukamoto  •  Paulyn Sun

Suicide Club (2001)

When 54 high school girls throw themselves in front of a subway train it appears to be only the beginning of a string of suicides around the country. Does the new all-girl group Desert have anything to do with it? Detective Kuroda tries to find the answer, which ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sion Sono
CAST:  Ryo Ishibashi  •  Akaji Maro  •  Masatoshi Nagase  •  Sayako Hagiwara

When 54 high school girls throw themselves in front of a subway train it appears to be only the beginning of a string of suicides around the country. Does the new all-girl group Desert have anything to do with it? Detective Kuroda tries to find the answer, which ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sion Sono
CAST:  Ryo Ishibashi  •  Akaji Maro  •  Masatoshi Nagase  •  Sayako Hagiwara

Mondai no Nai Watashitachi (2004)

Mio Sasaoka hears of a middle school student that was a victim of bullying and then committed suicide. Mio thinks the girl should have confronted her tormentors rather than committing suicide. Mio herself is the leader of a group of students at her school. She is a ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshiyuki Morioka
CAST:  Mei Kurokawa  •  Erika Sawajiri  •  Minami  •  Erika Mori

Mio Sasaoka hears of a middle school student that was a victim of bullying and then committed suicide. Mio thinks the girl should have confronted her tormentors rather than committing suicide. Mio herself is the leader of a group of students at her school. She is a ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshiyuki Morioka
CAST:  Mei Kurokawa  •  Erika Sawajiri  •  Minami  •  Erika Mori

Sunflower (2000)

Reunited by the death of a friend, a group of former schoolmates reassess themselves and their earlier times together.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Isao Yukisada
CAST:  Kumiko Aso  •  Aya Kawamura  •  Magi  •  Yoshihiko Hakamada

Reunited by the death of a friend, a group of former schoolmates reassess themselves and their earlier times together.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Isao Yukisada
CAST:  Kumiko Aso  •  Aya Kawamura  •  Magi  •  Yoshihiko Hakamada

Locomotive Teacher (2004)

Seigo Yoshioka (Kenji Sakaguchi) is a teacher that became mute after a kendo accident. He feels lost after the accident and eventually decides to teach again on a small island where his mother was born. The children there on the island quickly name him "Kikansha ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Ryuichi Hiroki
CAST:  Kenji Sakaguchi  •  Masaaki Sakai  •  Mitsuko Baisho  •  Nene Otsuka

Seigo Yoshioka (Kenji Sakaguchi) is a teacher that became mute after a kendo accident. He feels lost after the accident and eventually decides to teach again on a small island where his mother was born. The children there on the island quickly name him "Kikansha ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Ryuichi Hiroki
CAST:  Kenji Sakaguchi  •  Masaaki Sakai  •  Mitsuko Baisho  •  Nene Otsuka

The Guys from Paradise (2000)

Set in the Philippines, Takashi Miike’s “The Guys from Paradise” weaves together the stories of several real-life criminal cases. Young up-and-coming salary man Kohei Hayakawa is sent to Paradise prison on false drug charges, and assumes his lawyers will clear up ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Takashi Miike
CAST:  Koji Kikkawa  •  Tsutomu Yamazaki  •  Kenichi Endo  •  Kaei Okina

Set in the Philippines, Takashi Miike’s “The Guys from Paradise” weaves together the stories of several real-life criminal cases. Young up-and-coming salary man Kohei Hayakawa is sent to Paradise prison on false drug charges, and assumes his lawyers will clear up ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Takashi Miike
CAST:  Koji Kikkawa  •  Tsutomu Yamazaki  •  Kenichi Endo  •  Kaei Okina

Box: The Hakamada Case (2010)

Based on the true story of former professional boxer Iwao Hakamada who has spent over 40 years incarcerated on death row. Iwao Hakamada was arrested for the June 10, 1966 murder of a family in Shizuoka . Iwao Hakamada has always insisted on his innocence and many ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Banmei Takahashi
CAST:  Masato Hagiwara  •  Hirofumi Arai  •  Riona Hazuki  •  Takenori Murano

Based on the true story of former professional boxer Iwao Hakamada who has spent over 40 years incarcerated on death row. Iwao Hakamada was arrested for the June 10, 1966 murder of a family in Shizuoka . Iwao Hakamada has always insisted on his innocence and many ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Banmei Takahashi
CAST:  Masato Hagiwara  •  Hirofumi Arai  •  Riona Hazuki  •  Takenori Murano

Tears of Kitty (2008)

Eiji Morioka is legendary fighter, he is the 3rd and last Japanese boxing medalist. His life story is told from the eyes of his daughter Haruko, who is involved in checkered life of Eiji. Touching true story full of love.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshiyuki Morioka
CAST:  Shinji Takeda  •  Nanami Fujimoto  •  Ryoko Hirosue  •  Hidekazu Akai

Eiji Morioka is legendary fighter, he is the 3rd and last Japanese boxing medalist. His life story is told from the eyes of his daughter Haruko, who is involved in checkered life of Eiji. Touching true story full of love.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshiyuki Morioka
CAST:  Shinji Takeda  •  Nanami Fujimoto  •  Ryoko Hirosue  •  Hidekazu Akai

Dog Star (2002)

A seeing-eye dog (Shiro) is granted one wish by his former owner. He chooses to become a human for a short time so he can find the girl who trained him as a puppy. While attempting to get to know her (as he runs along behind her and sniffs for her around town) he ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Takahisa Zeze
CAST:  Etsushi Toyokawa  •  Haruka Igawa  •  Ryo Ishibashi  •  Shigeru Izumiya

A seeing-eye dog (Shiro) is granted one wish by his former owner. He chooses to become a human for a short time so he can find the girl who trained him as a puppy. While attempting to get to know her (as he runs along behind her and sniffs for her around town) he ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Takahisa Zeze
CAST:  Etsushi Toyokawa  •  Haruka Igawa  •  Ryo Ishibashi  •  Shigeru Izumiya

Conflict (2016)

Tendokai's Washio Kazuma, the underboss of Japan's largest crime syndicate, goes on the warpath when his blood brother and family turn up dead.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Ken'ichi Fujiwara
CAST:  Show Aikawa  •  Hitoshi Ozawa  •  Hidekazu Akai  •  Shôzô Endô

Tendokai's Washio Kazuma, the underboss of Japan's largest crime syndicate, goes on the warpath when his blood brother and family turn up dead.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Ken'ichi Fujiwara
CAST:  Show Aikawa  •  Hitoshi Ozawa  •  Hidekazu Akai  •  Shôzô Endô

Senrigan (2000)

The head of a psychological research institute and a lieutenant in the Japanese Air Force are both investigating a mysterious cult known only as ‘Midori no Saru’ (The Green Monkey). Members of this group have committed a string of violent suicide-attacks on ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Manabu Asô
CAST:  Miki Mizuno  •  Hitomi Kuroki  •  Toshiro Yanagiba  •  Ken'ichi Yajima

The head of a psychological research institute and a lieutenant in the Japanese Air Force are both investigating a mysterious cult known only as ‘Midori no Saru’ (The Green Monkey). Members of this group have committed a string of violent suicide-attacks on ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Manabu Asô
CAST:  Miki Mizuno  •  Hitomi Kuroki  •  Toshiro Yanagiba  •  Ken'ichi Yajima

Labyrinth of Leg Fetishism (2001)

Another psychodrama, this time revolving around an SM club.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Ryuichi Hiroki
CAST:  Eugene Nomura  •  Ryuichi Ohura  •  Minoru Torihada  •  Makiko Watanabe

Another psychodrama, this time revolving around an SM club.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Ryuichi Hiroki
CAST:  Eugene Nomura  •  Ryuichi Ohura  •  Minoru Torihada  •  Makiko Watanabe

Damejin (2006)

An off-beat comedy about 3 'damejin' (useless persons), who don't work and spend their lives doing nothing. They actually don't want to work. When they hear 'in India one can live without working' they take it seriously. They begin to raise the money to go to India ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Satoshi Miki
CAST:  Ryuta Sato  •  Mikako Ichikawa  •  Yasuhito Hida  •  Eisuke Sasai

An off-beat comedy about 3 'damejin' (useless persons), who don't work and spend their lives doing nothing. They actually don't want to work. When they hear 'in India one can live without working' they take it seriously. They begin to raise the money to go to India ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Satoshi Miki
CAST:  Ryuta Sato  •  Mikako Ichikawa  •  Yasuhito Hida  •  Eisuke Sasai

Conflict II (2016)

When Tendokai's headquarters are attacked, underboss Washio Kazuma orders his trusted lieutenant to investigate a possible mole inside the family.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Ken'ichi Fujiwara
CAST:  Hitoshi Ozawa  •  Yasukaze Motomiya  •  Akane Hotta  •  Hideo Nakano

When Tendokai's headquarters are attacked, underboss Washio Kazuma orders his trusted lieutenant to investigate a possible mole inside the family.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Ken'ichi Fujiwara
CAST:  Hitoshi Ozawa  •  Yasukaze Motomiya  •  Akane Hotta  •  Hideo Nakano