Our Little Sister

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Our Little Sister

PG

2016

2h 6m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

121 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

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

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Critics Consensus

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

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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

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Raphael Abraham

Financial Times

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

Rated: 4/5

Dec 27, 2016

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Calvin Wilson

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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

Rated: 4/4

Sep 15, 2016

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

It's a tender, condescending film about sisterhood, but unfortunately, it ends up being naive in its statement of intent, lacking dramatic strength to add dimensions to the moral dilemma. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 6/10

May 17, 2025

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

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Fabhian C

It's absolutely good

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/13/25

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Clara Y

It's a super heartfelt movie that shows the beauty of sisterly bond and a coastal town's charm. The director really brings out the emotions and humor in a way that makes you feel for each character.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/24/24

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Georgan G

A touching, beautifully filmed story about the circle of life and how precious kindness truly is.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/19/24

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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

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William D

Possibly the chickflickiest chick flick of all time.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/14/23

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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

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Hirokazu Koreeda

Director

Haruka Ayase

Sachi Kôda

Masami Nagasawa

Yoshino Kôda

Kaho

Chika Kôda

Suzu Hirose

Suzu Asano

Kirin Kiki

Fumiyo Kikuchi

Our Little Sister: Trailer 1

1:59

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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
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
Runtime: 2h 6m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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