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Third Act

Play trailer Poster for Third Act Sep 2025 1h 33m Documentary Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 14 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Generations of artists call Robert A. Nakamura "The Godfather of Asian American film," but his son, Tad, calls him Dad. As the filmmaking son of a filmmaking legend, Tad uses the lessons his dad taught him to decipher the legacy of an aging man who was a child survivor of the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans, a successful photographer who gave it up to tell his own story, an activist at the dawn of a social movement--and a father whose struggles have won his son freedoms that eluded Japanese Americans of his generation. As Parkinson's Disease clouds his memory, Tad sets out to retrieve his story--and in the process discovers his own. The two have made films together, with Robert always by Tad's side. THIRD ACT is most likely the last.

Critics Reviews

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Murtada Elfadl Variety Jan 27
Tadashi Nakamura takes on a lot with “Third Act” since it’s a historical and educational documentary while also being a very personal story. He succeeds. Go to Full Review Grace Han Asian Movie Pulse Aug 5
3.5/5
Informative, curious, and intimate all at once, “Third Act” takes us on a privileged view of Bob Nakamura: fighter, filmmaker, and father. Go to Full Review Louisa Moore Screen Zealots May 31
The documentary can feel insular, almost like it was specifically made for the family and community closest to Robert. And yet, there's a universal thread in its exploration of how we inherit history and how we define ourselves in relation to our parents. Go to Full Review Paul Emmanuel Enicola The Movie Buff Mar 10
B+
[Third Act is] an intimate documentary on legacy and intergenerational storytelling. Go to Full Review Nikki Baughan Screen International Feb 6
As Tadashi learns more about how his father's past shaped his character, and his creativity, we can also see how a young Robert was also uneasy with his Asian 'otherness'. This is also a fascinating look at the art of filmmaking itself. Go to Full Review Christopher Campbell Nonfics (Substack) Jan 31
What makes Third Act stand out narratively and thematically is the family tradition it continues...it’s a beautiful multi-generational portrait. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Stephen C @bob25009 Sep 26 Real footage in 1 hour and 33 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dubbed and subtitled in worldwide studios!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Read all reviews
Third Act

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Cast & Crew

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Tadashi Nakamura

Director

Robert A. Nakamura

Self

Tadashi Nakamura

Self

Victoria Chalk

Writer

Tadashi Nakamura

Writer

Eurie Chung

Producer
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Third Act

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Movie Info

Synopsis Generations of artists call Robert A. Nakamura "The Godfather of Asian American film," but his son, Tad, calls him Dad. As the filmmaking son of a filmmaking legend, Tad uses the lessons his dad taught him to decipher the legacy of an aging man who was a child survivor of the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans, a successful photographer who gave it up to tell his own story, an activist at the dawn of a social movement--and a father whose struggles have won his son freedoms that eluded Japanese Americans of his generation. As Parkinson's Disease clouds his memory, Tad sets out to retrieve his story--and in the process discovers his own. The two have made films together, with Robert always by Tad's side. THIRD ACT is most likely the last.
Director
Tadashi Nakamura
Producer
Eurie Chung, Tadashi Nakamura
Screenwriter
Victoria Chalk, Tadashi Nakamura
Distributor
Generation Films
Production Co
Generation Films
Genre
Documentary, Biography
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 26, 2025, Limited
Runtime
1h 33m