Little Sister

PG

Released Jul 8, 2016

2 hr. 6 min.

Drama

TRAILER

for Our Little Sister: Trailer 1

List

94%

124 Reviews

Tomatometer

83%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

After the death of their estranged father, three siblings (Haruka Ayase, Masami Nagasawa, Kaho) invite their half sister (Suzu Hirose) to live with them.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Aug 29

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Apple TV

Rent Little Sister on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Critics Consensus

Our Little Sister uses the story of one fractured family to offer universal -- and deeply moving -- observations on the human condition.

Read Critics Reviews

Pathetic b

The storytelling, not only in hindsight, gave me the feeling of being constantly pulled along by my nosehairs towards a deffinite direction. The end. Very formulaic, constructed. Even the characters, their "individual" traits. Not natural at all. That was really dissapointing and underwhelming. Having seen some of his other movies. I don't think people should spend their real life in a dark room watching things like this. That is, to me, not what cinema was ever created for. To me, it has to be some kind of art. But he is, generally, a excellent director and every actor always seems to feel very, very comfortable with his style.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/08/24

Full Review

William D

Possibly the chickflickiest chick flick of all time.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A quiet, thoughtful, and compelling film, "Our Little Sister" explores complicated family relationships and what it takes to find peace and acceptance within them. Director Kore-eda has a sharp focus but lets the film breathe and move at its own, measured pace. This allows the superb cast, especially stars Haruka Ayase, Masami Nagasawa, Kaho, and Suzu Hirose, to delve deeply into their characters. In some ways, it may seem that not a lot happens in this movie. Beneath the surface, however, this is a sensitive, healing portrait of family members coming to terms with themselves and each other. It's the kind of film you may find yourself thinking about for quite a while after you see it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

isla s

I really enjoyed this film. Its a gentle, laidback style film, which I felt had a particularly good use of music score - it wasn't too overbearing. I enjoyed seeing the sisters interact and learning about their individual lives. There are themes present including secrets, death and the importance of families. Its a thoughtful watch and I also enjoyed watching it in terms of seeing the Japanese surroundings. The house the film is mostly set in is quite pretty and there are some other places shown. I thought it was interesting to see how they deal with death in terms of the ceremonies shown and the like - it does definitely show an aspect of Japanese culture, although its a drama film rather than a documentary as such. It may be a little slow, plot development wise but if your like me and enjoy world cinema, esp, Asian world cinema, and learning about other cultures, or if you like dramas about family secrets and the like, then this is well worth a watch (as long as your ok with subtitles, obviously).

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

To Be Brutally Honest, It's Very Boring. I Do However, Admire Japan's Polite & Reserved Cullture, & With That Threading Through The Story, There's A Hidden Uniqueness To Some Otherwise Insignificant Moments.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

william k

A beautifully subtle and insightful study of familial, or rather sororal, conflict and solidarity, all set in seemingly everyday situations, but always relative to the main narrative; remarkable also is the great ensemble that makes this all the more convincing.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Hirokazu Koreeda

Director

Haruka Ayase

Sachi Kôda

Masami Nagasawa

Yoshino Kôda

Kaho

Chika Kôda

Suzu Hirose

Suzu Asano

Kirin Kiki

Fumiyo Kikuchi

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

95%

92%

Hundreds of Beavers

TRAILER

for Hundreds of Beavers

67%

27%

The Stranger

TRAILER

for The Stranger

50%

92%

The Stolen Valley

TRAILER

for The Stolen Valley

93%

95%

Dune: Part Two

TRAILER

for Dune: Part Two

71%

60%

Immaculate

TRAILER

for Immaculate

82%

75%

In the Land of Saints and Sinners

TRAILER

for In the Land of Saints and Sinners

69%

87%

Sweet Dreams

TRAILER

for Sweet Dreams

56%

84%

DogMan

TRAILER

for DogMan

%

39%

Jimmy Carr: Natural Born Killer

%

%

An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th

TRAILER

for An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The Secret Life of Pets Is Funny and Colorful

Our Little Sister: Trailer 1

1:59

View more videos

View more photos

Aliza Ma

Film Comment Magazine

Never shying away from the picturesque, the film depicts a vivid world that is crystal clear, gleaming, and suffused with life.

Nov 3, 2017

Full Review

Raphael Abraham

Financial Times

[A] warmly enveloping exploration of grief, guilt and gradually letting go.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 27, 2016

Full Review

Calvin Wilson

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Rarely has a film more eloquently captured the universality of human experience.

Rated: 4/4

Sep 15, 2016

Full Review

Michael Clark

Epoch Times

It could prove to be too safe for a few, but for those seeking a true reflection of real life in a foreign land and want to witness a fractured family repairing itself under unorthodox circumstances, “Our Little Sister” is an uplifting endearing must-see.

Rated: 5/5

Dec 27, 2022

Full Review

David Bax

Battleship Pretension

Kore-eda seems so preoccupied with such small observations that the viewer may only gradually realize that time is passing and major events are taking place. That's the point, though, and beautifully illustrated.

Jan 5, 2021

Full Review

Charlotte Harrison

Charlotte Sometimes Goes to the Movies

Exquisite filmmaking.

Dec 2, 2020

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

After the death of their estranged father, three siblings (Haruka Ayase, Masami Nagasawa, Kaho) invite their half sister (Suzu Hirose) to live with them.

Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Executive Producer: Minami Ichikawa, Satomi Odake, Yasushi Ogawa
Screenwriter: Hirokazu Koreeda
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Film Inc.
Rating: PG (Thematic Elements|Brief Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 8, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $496.2K
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

Most Popular at Home Now