The Eel
Seen it?1997 | 117 min | Drama, Crime
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (81% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop and little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans. If you loved Cape Fear, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Dark and gritty.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 57 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
A businessman kills his adulterous wife and is sent to prison. After his release, he opens a barbershop and meets new people, talking to almost no one except for an eel he befriended while in prison.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
81% on Rotten Tomatoes, 81 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
6.9 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
Won 1 Cannes award: Palme d'Or. Also nominated for 1 Independent Spirit Award. Plus 2 other awards.
- Box office & staying powerWeak
$5 million worldwide
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 41K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Shōhei Imamura
- Koji YakushoTakuro Yamashita
- Misa ShimizuKeiko Hattori
- Akira EmotoTamotsu Takasaki
- Fujio TokitaJiro Nakajima
- Mitsuko BaishoMisako Nakajima
- Show AikawaYuji Nozawa
- Ken KobayashiMasaki Saito
- Sabu KawaharaSeitaro Misato
- Etsuko IchiharaFumie Hattori
- Tomorowo TaguchiEiji Dojima