The Chicken

2020 0h 14m EN

😐

5.5

MID

★5.5TMDB · 6

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

On an unseasonably hot day in November, Hiro, a Japanese immigrant in New York City, decides to butcher a live chicken for dinner. While showing his visiting cousin Kei around, the pair encounter a medical emergency on the street. After they mishandle the situation and end up causing more harm than good, Hiro cannot bring himself to kill the chicken. Throughout, Kei observes his cousin’s new lifestyle as Hiro and his pregnant wife prepare for their move to Chinatown. As the day wears on, Hiro and Kei’s actions highlight how their lives are complicit in the structural violence that surrounds them.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Junshin Soga
Hiro
Taiju Nakane
Kei
Sandra Maren Schneider
Anna
Alan Chen
CJ
Jordan Rodriguez
First Cop
Florian Koenigsberger
Second Cop
Kenta Koga
Barista
Nuuria Berg
Cafe Patron

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Neo Sora
Writers: Naoya Shiga, Neo Sora
Languages: Japanese, English
Countries: United States of America

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

Tight 14-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 6 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Japanese, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Neo Sora, shot by Bill Kirstein. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Junshin Soga and Taiju Nakane and Sandra Maren Schneider carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt12754146 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Neo Sora directs. Bill Kirstein behind the camera. Albert Tholen cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in Japanese, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 14-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Released 6 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Japanese, English.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Neo Sora, shot by Bill Kirstein. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Albert Tholen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Junshin Soga and Taiju Nakane and Sandra Maren Schneider carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt12754146 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 6 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.