Hirokazu Kore-eda, one of Japan’s most cherished filmmakers, is seemingly unstoppable right about now. His most recent film Shoplifters was a major hit at this year’s Cannes Film Festival (our review), taking home the Palme d’Or. However, before we get to see Shoplifters in the U.S., there’s another Kore-eda film that demands our attention.
Initially premiering at the Venice Film Festival, The Third Murder – also known as its Japanese title Sandome no satsujin – found major success for Kore-eda: screening at a slew of top film festivals around the world and garnishing six awards at the Japanese Academy Awards (including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay). The Third Murder will be distributed domestically courtesy of Film Movement – and we have a new U.S. trailer.
Kore-eda, typically delivering compelling films that are cored within intimate human relationships, finds himself slightly outside his expected genre with The Third Murder. Staged as a hostile courtroom drama, the film tells the story of the leading lawyer Shigemori (played by previous Kore-eda collaborator Fukuyama Masaharu) and his task to defend the aging murder-suspect Misumi (played by Yakusho Koji). Throughout the trial, Shigemori discovers hidden secrets that slowly begin to surface.
From Film Movement, The Third Murder will be released in Los Angeles and New York on July 27th. Check out the newest trailer and poster below.
