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Poster for Departures

Departures

Seen it?

2008 | 130 min | Drama

Friday Night Flick

Why it’s a Friday Night Flick

It won an Oscar, it earned strong reviews (80% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences rate it highly (7.9 out of 10). 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 anyone who loves a strong drama.
The mood
Thoughtful and character-driven.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 10 min.
What might put you off
  • Rated PG-13. Probably too much for younger kids.
  • It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).

Daigo, a cellist, is laid off from his orchestra and moves with his wife back to his small hometown where the living is cheaper. Thinking he’s applying for a job at a travel agency he finds he’s being interviewed for work with departures of a more permanent nature – as an undertaker’s assistant.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsStrong

    80% on Rotten Tomatoes, 68 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesStrong

    7.9 out of 10

  • AwardsVery strong

    Won 1 Oscar: Academy Awards: Best Foreign Language Film. Plus 39 other awards.

  • Box office & staying powerSolid

    $70 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactSolid

    About 82K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Yojiro Takita

  • Masahiro MotokiDaigo Kobayashi
  • Ryoko HirosueMika Kobayashi
  • Tsutomu YamazakiIkuei Sasaki
  • Kimiko YoYuriko Kamimura
  • Tetta SugimotoYamashita
  • Toru MinegishiYoshiki Kobayashi
  • Tatsuo YamadaTogashi
  • Yukiko Tachibana
  • Yukari TachibanaRie Yamashita
  • Genjitsu Shu