Under the Open Sky

2021 2h 6m JA

🙌

7.5

BANGER

🔥

90%

CERTIFIED FRESH

⭐

7.2

IMDB

★7.5TMDB · 46🍅90%Rotten Tomatoes★7.2IMDB · 2,525

CrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Mikami, an ex-yakuza of middle age with most of his life in prison, gets released after serving 13 years of sentence for murder. Hoping to find his long lost mother, from whom he was separated as a child, he applies for a TV show and meets a young TV director Tsunoda. Meanwhile, he struggles to get a proper job and fit into society. His impulsive, adamant nature and ingrained beliefs cause friction in his relationship with Tsunoda and those who want to help him.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Koji Yakusho
Mikami Masao
Taiga Nakano
Tsunoda Ryutaro
Masami Nagasawa
Yoshizawa Haruka
Isao Hashizume
Shoji Tsutomu
Rokkaku Seiji
Matsumoto Ryosuke
Yukiya Kitamura
Iguchi Hisatoshi
Narumi Yasuda
Nishio Kumiko
Meiko Kaji
Shoji Atsuko

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Miwa Nishikawa
Writers: Miwa Nishikawa
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 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 5 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Miwa Nishikawa, shot by Norimichi Kasamatsu. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ryuji Miyajima 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

Koji Yakusho and Taiga Nakano and Masami Nagasawa carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt12801374 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 46 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Miwa Nishikawa directs. Norimichi Kasamatsu behind the camera. Masaki Hayashi scores. Ryuji Miyajima cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 5 years ago.
2Directed by Miwa Nishikawa, shot by Norimichi Kasamatsu. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Masaki Hayashi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Ryuji Miyajima shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Koji Yakusho and Taiga Nakano and Masami Nagasawa carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt12801374 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 46 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
8Classified under 13 themes, including "japan", "based on novel or book", "society", "yakuza".