As usual, if you find a yakuza crime flick starring Bunta Sugawara, you won't waste your time, because if you succeed in finding such a rare gem, which a very few people posess in France - I am pretty lucky - you will appreciate it even more. Solid crime drama about a hoodlum torn between his sweetheart and his associates. The story brings nothing really new, but if you crave for such real men and high testosterone films, Japanese gangster films, you won't be deceived. Not as excellent as a Kinji Fukasaku's feature, it remains atmospheric, gloomy, downbeat, as so many dramas - crime or not - from the Rising Sun country.

Japanese cinema is celebrated for its refined minimalist dramas and avant-garde experimentation; it also introduced popular genres like jidaigeki (samurai epics), kaiju, and anime. Across both high art and mass entertainment, it often explores morality, impermanence, and the pressures of modern life.

Hidetoshi Nishijima and Tôko Miura in Drive My Car (2021)

A young yakuza soldier is torn between staying in his current life or leaving his family when his boss refuses to follow their ancient code of ethics.

The Biggest Movies and TV Coming in September

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

A Modern Yakuza: Three Decoy Blood Brothers

A Modern Yakuza: Broken Code

Photos

Top Cast5

User reviews1

Related interests

Storyline

Did you know

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed