Parasyte: Part 1

"The alien invasion begins."

2014 1h 49m JA

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 325

Science FictionHorrorActionDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Humanity is suffering from a series of mysterious murders across the globe, known as the 'Mincemeat murders'. High school student Izumi Shinichi has a parasite living off him, having replaced his right hand, and he might be the discoverer of truth.

“The alien invasion begins.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Shota Sometani
Izumi Shinichi
Sadao Abe
Migi (voice)
Eri Fukatsu
Tamiya Ryoko
Ai Hashimoto
Murano Satomi
Kazuki Kitamura
Hirokawa Takeshi
Masahiro Higashide
Shimada Hideo
Tadanobu Asano
Goto
Miko Yoki
Izumi Nobuko

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Writers: Ryota Kosawa, Takashi Yamazaki, Hitoshi Iwaaki
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 12 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Parasyte Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, shot by Shôichi Atô. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Naoki Sato. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Junnosuke Hogaki shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Shota Sometani and Sadao Abe and Eri Fukatsu carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The alien invasion begins.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt3345472 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Takashi Yamazaki directs. Shôichi Atô behind the camera. Naoki Sato scores. Junnosuke Hogaki cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 12 years ago.
2Part of the "Parasyte Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, shot by Shôichi Atô. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Naoki Sato. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Junnosuke Hogaki shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Shota Sometani and Sadao Abe and Eri Fukatsu carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The alien invasion begins.".
8IMDB entry: tt3345472 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Shôichi Atô
Original score: Naoki Sato
Editing: Junnosuke Hogaki
Production design: Yuji Hayashida
VFX supervisor: Takashi Yamazaki
Sound: Gino Palencia
Runtime: 109 min · 1h 49m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $9,649,013
Original language: JA
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Parasyte: Part 1 (2014)

Part of

Parasyte Collection

A two-part film based on Hitoshi Iwaaki's sci-fi horror manga of the same name. Humanity is suffering from a series of mysterious murders across the globe, known as the 'Mincemeat murders'. High school student Izumi Shinichi has a parasite living off him, having replaced his right hand, and he might be the discoverer of truth.

Also by

Takashi Yamazaki

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Dr Nostromo2026-03-28
★ 6/10
61/100 Parasitic creatures are taking over humans by infecting their brain but one teen stops the assault resulting in the parasite just taking over his hand. This symbiotic relationship is the heart of this story as 'Migi', the parasite, wants to joins it's kind and the teen wants to save humanity. Delving into compassion, sentimentality and the like attempting to define what's human, makes an excellent backdrop for some gnarly monster effects and good action. Although it got redundant at times, it never failed to entertain and the sequel ought to be great! -- DrNostromo.com

Production companies