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Poster for High and Low

High and Low

Seen it?

1963 | 142 min | Drama, Crime, Thriller, Mystery

Friday Night Flick

Why it’s a Friday Night Flick

Critics loved it (97% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences adore it (8.4 out of 10) and it's still drawing plenty of interest. Make plans for this one.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for crime-drama fans and anyone who likes to be kept guessing. If you loved The Silence of the Lambs or Fargo, start here.
The mood
Tense, dark and gritty.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 22 min.
What might put you off
  • It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
  • Made in 1963: an older pace and style.

A Yokohama shoe executive faces a wrenching choice when kidnappers mistakenly seize his chauffeur’s son but demand the ransom anyway.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    97% on Rotten Tomatoes, 90 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesVery strong

    8.4 out of 10

  • AwardsBelow par

    Nominated for 1 Golden Globe and 1 Venice award.

  • Reach & staying powerSolid

    Streaming release that reached a solid audience; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactStrong

    About 289K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

  • Toshirō MifuneKingo Gondo
  • Tatsuya NakadaiChief Detective Tokura
  • Kyōko KagawaReiko Gondo
  • Tatsuya MihashiKawanishi, Gondo's secretary
  • Isao KimuraDetective Arai
  • Kenjirō IshiyamaChief Detective 'Bos'n' Taguchi
  • Takeshi KatōDetective Nakao
  • Takashi ShimuraChief of Investigation Section
  • Jun TazakiKamiya, National Shoes Publicity Director
  • Nobuo NakamuraIshimaru, National Shoes Design Department Director