The Insect Woman
Seen it?1963 | 123 min | Drama
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (86% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office 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.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 3 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 woman, Tome, is born to a lower class family in Japan in 1918. The title refers to an insect, repeating its mistakes, as in an infinite circle. Imamura, with this metaphor, introduces the life of Tome, who keeps trying to change her poor life.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
86% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$1 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 12K people sought it out in the past year
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Cast & crew
Directed by Shōhei Imamura
- Sachiko HidariTome Matsuki
- Jitsuko YoshimuraNobuko
- Shoichi OzawaKen
- Hiroyuki NagatoMatsunami
- Kayoko HonooMiyako
- Masumi HarukawaMidori
- Emiko AizawaRui
- Emiko HigashiKane
- Daizaburo HirataKamibayashi
- Seizaburō KawazuKarasawa