Monday Morning Maybe

Add your email and we'll match picks to the services you stream at home.

Poster for When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

Seen it?

1960 | 111 min | Drama

Sunday Safe Betearly rating

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (100% 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 anyone who loves a strong drama. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Thoughtful and character-driven.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 51 min.
What might put you off
  • It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
  • Made in 1960: an older pace and style.
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

Keiko, whom everyone calls Mama, narrates her story: she's a hostess on the Ginza, 30, a widow. She describes life's vicious cycle: acting cheerful around drunks, dressing and living well to convey confidence, needing money for these expenses and for her demanding mother and brother, and knowing she's growing older.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    100% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesSolid

    8.0 out of 10

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerWeak

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far

  • Buzz & cultural impactBelow par

    About 12K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

More like this

Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks

Cast & crew

Directed by Mikio Naruse

  • Hideko TakamineKeiko Yashiro
  • Masayuki MoriNobuhiko Fujisaki
  • Reiko DanJunko Inchihashi
  • Tatsuya NakadaiKenichi Komatsu
  • Daisuke KatōMatsukichi Sekine
  • Ganjirō Nakamura IIGoda
  • Eitarō OzawaMinobe
  • Keiko AwajiYuri
  • Chieko NakakitaTomoko
  • Jun TataraGoldfish