Bright Future

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Bright Future

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1h 32m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

71%

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21 Reviews

73%

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2,500+ Ratings

Mamoru (Tadanobu Asano) and feckless, unstable Yuji (Jô Odagiri) are best friends who work together in a Japanese towel factory. But they're separated when, after lending Yuji a poisonous jellyfish, Mamoru is jailed for killing their boss (Takashi Sasano). Suddenly at loose ends, Yuji begins working for Mamoru's father, Shin-ichiro (Tatsuya Fuji), in his salvage shop. Meanwhile, the jellyfish escapes and begins reproducing in massive numbers within the sewers of the city.

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Critics Consensus

Flawed yet alluring, Bright Future slowly draws the viewer into an enigmatic world of surreal imagery and entrancing ambiguity.

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Richard Porton

Chicago Reader

Alienated youth is one of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's favorite themes. Bright Future is an alternately comic and macabre portrait of a deranged friendship.

Sep 29, 2017

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John Hartl

Seattle Times

Gradually establishes a sense of foreboding that is hard to shake, though it's not without its darkly humorous moments.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 28, 2005

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Ty Burr

Boston Globe

The movie has a curious and cumulative power.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 14, 2005

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Diane Carson

KDHX (St. Louis)

[Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa] embeds astute social commentary in narrative details, as he does exceptionally well in "Bright Future".

Dec 30, 2020

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Kurosawa's weird look at the empty lives of modern youth is mysteriously eye-catching but nothing deeper.

Rated: B

Sep 17, 2009

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Christopher Null

Filmcritic.com

a genre that's starting to get overplayed

Rated: 3/5

Mar 8, 2005

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S. C

Not as good as you would expect but intriguing nonetheless with its symbolism. I liked the editing and some of the shots were really great. The actor playing the role of the father was pretty good. A few beautifully directed scenes there, for example the one in which the lead gets a job at the office. Intriguing watch that gets you thinking.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/16/23

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Audience Member

Confusing at times, but ultimately thought provoking and rewarding.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

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Audience Member

Kiyosho Kurosawa abandons the horror genre for and existentially reflex character study. Flawed but interesting.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

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Audience Member

the movie contains a lot of analogies between concepts and objects such as the jellyfish was compared to the confined life of people. very low-key yet meticulously skillful film.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

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Audience Member

Man is obsessed with jellyfish; jellyfish is faster-moving than film's pacing.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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Audience Member

a drama/mystery thats way to predictable, but the performances are well worth the watch alone.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

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Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Director

Joe Odagiri

Yuji Nimura

Tadanobu Asano

Mamoru Arita

Tatsuya Fuji

Shin-ichiro Arita

Takashi Sasano

Mr. Fujiwara

Marumi Shiraishi

Mrs. Fujiwara

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Synopsis

Mamoru (Tadanobu Asano) and feckless, unstable Yuji (Jô Odagiri) are best friends who work together in a Japanese towel factory. But they're separated when, after lending Yuji a poisonous jellyfish, Mamoru is jailed for killing their boss (Takashi Sasano). Suddenly at loose ends, Yuji begins working for Mamoru's father, Shin-ichiro (Tatsuya Fuji), in his salvage shop. Meanwhile, the jellyfish escapes and begins reproducing in massive numbers within the sewers of the city.

Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Producer: Takashi Asai
Distributor: Palm Pictures
Production Co: Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation, Uplink Co., Digital Site Corporation, The Klockworx Co., Ltd.
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 18, 2003, Original
Release Date (DVD): Mar 8, 2005
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.8K
Runtime: 1h 32m

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