Killing

"Why must I kill?"

2018 1h 20m JA

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 69

DramaAction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In mid-19th century Edo period, a masterless rōnin named Mokunoshin Tsuzuki resides in a peaceful village among those he helps. However, as the prevalent peace and tranquility are sure to be replaced by war and conflict across the land, the swordsman feels restlessness creeping upon him.

“Why must I kill?”

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Cast

Sosuke Ikematsu
Mokunoshin Tsuzuki
Yu Aoi
Yu
Tatsuya Nakamura
Sezaemon Genda
Ryusei Maeda
Ichisuke
Shinya Tsukamoto
Jirozaemon Sawamura
Koji Kato
Masterless Samurai
Shûji Ôtsuki
Kahei
Makiko Kuno
Taki

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Shinya Tsukamoto
Writers: Shinya Tsukamoto
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

RUNTIME

Did you know

80 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 8 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Shinya Tsukamoto, shot by Shinya Tsukamoto. 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 Chu Ishikawa. 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 Shinya Tsukamoto 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

Sosuke Ikematsu and Yu Aoi and Tatsuya Nakamura carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Why must I kill?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt7117352 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Shinya Tsukamoto directs. Shinya Tsukamoto behind the camera. Chu Ishikawa scores. Shinya Tsukamoto cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 8 years ago.
3Directed by Shinya Tsukamoto, shot by Shinya Tsukamoto. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Chu Ishikawa. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Shinya Tsukamoto shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Sosuke Ikematsu and Yu Aoi and Tatsuya Nakamura carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Why must I kill?".
8IMDB entry: tt7117352 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 69 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.