Wife of a Spy

"Who should I trust?"

2020 1h 54m JA

👍

6.7

SOLID

🍅

89%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

6.6

IMDB

★6.7TMDB · 107🍅89%Rotten Tomatoes●79Metacritic★6.6IMDB · 3,216

DramaWarThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

It’s 1940, and the population of Japan is divided over its entry into World War II. Satoko, the wife of a fabric merchant, is devoted to her husband but is beginning to suspect he’s up to something. Soon she allows herself to be drawn into a game in which she enigmatically conceals her intentions.

“Who should I trust?”

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Cast

Yu Aoi
Satoko Fukuhara
Issey Takahashi
Yūsaku Fukuhara
Masahiro Higashide
Yasuharu Tsumori
Ryota Bando
Fumio Takeshita
Yuri Tsunematsu
Komako
Hyunri
Hiroko Kusakabe
Takashi Sasano
Doctor Nozaki
Sakichi Sato
Street vendor

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Writers: Tadashi Nohara, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Languages: English, 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 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 6 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Japanese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, shot by Tatsunosuke Sasaki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Yu Aoi and Issey Takahashi and Masahiro Higashide carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Who should I trust?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt11917942 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kiyoshi Kurosawa directs. Tatsunosuke Sasaki behind the camera. Lee Yeong-mi cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in English, Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 6 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Japanese.
3Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, shot by Tatsunosuke Sasaki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Lee Yeong-mi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Yu Aoi and Issey Takahashi and Masahiro Higashide carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Who should I trust?".
7IMDB entry: tt11917942 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Released under 12 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Tatsunosuke Sasaki
Editing: Lee Yeong-mi
Production design: Norifumi Ataka
Makeup / hair: Hiromi Momose
Runtime: 114 min · 1h 54m
Status: Released
Original language: JA
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Wife of a Spy (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 89% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 79/100
IMDB rating: 6.6/10 · 3,216 votes
US box office: $69,464

Awards

7 wins & 9 nominations

Also by

Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Alunauwie2025-09-24
★ 9/10
Set during World War II, this film delivers a compelling character-driven drama rather than a typical spy thriller, focusing on emotional conflict and moral dilemmas. With authentic period details and stellar performances—especially from Yu Aoi, whose nuanced portrayal earned her critical acclaim—the film immerses viewers in its tense historical setting. Despite a slow start and limited backstory for some characters, the story unfolds into a gripping and unpredictable finale worth the wait. Read the full review here: (Indonesian version : alunauwie.com)

Production companies