Bright Future

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Bright Future

Released Jan 18, 2003

1h 32m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

71%

Tomatometer

21 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

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.

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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Eitan D

Boring movie with no ideas- just lost kids doing stupid stuff

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

09/15/20

Full Review

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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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, The Klockworx Co., Ltd., Uplink Co., Digital Site Corporation
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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