THE THIRD MURDER

Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda

2018, Japan, 124, PG-13

Screenwriter: Hirokazu Kore-eda

Cast: Masaharu Fukuyama, Kōji Yakusho, Shinnosuke Mitsushima, Mikako Ichikawa, Izumi Matsuoka.

 

If you have over-indulged on British mysteries on Netflix this summer, it’s time to cleanse your palette with a murder investigation set on a different-in-every-way island. One fact that everyone agrees on at the opening of the new masterful film from internationally-acclaimed director Kore-eda Hirokazu, is that Takashi Misumi (Kōji Yakusho, star of Shall We Dance?) is guilty of committing his third murder. In fact, we even see him set the lifeless victim on fire, leading to his conviction and stint in jail. Waiting for a sentence. his lawyer (Masaharu Fukuyama) digs deeper into the case in hopes of keeping his client off Death Row. A subtle, painstaking investigation follows, not only into Misumi’s innocence or guilt, but also into a Rashomon-inspired search for the elusive truth.
“A captivating puzzle…that can be read as a piercing rebuke to the death sentence.” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian.
Winner of best picture, director, supporting actor, supporting actress, editing and screenplay at the 41st Japan Academy Prize.