Topic: Yakuza · Triad

Direction Akira Kurosawa

Cast Toshirô Mifune · Takashi Shimura · Keiko Awaji · Eiko Miyoshi

Synopsis Stray Dog (1949) follows the journey of Murakami, a young and dedicated homicide detective who finds himself in a dire situation when his pocket is picked on a crowded bus, resulting in the loss of his service revolver. Overwhelmed by...

Direction Andrew Lau · Alan Mak

Cast Tony Leung Chiu-Wai · Andy Lau · Eric Tsang · Kelly Chen

Synopsis Infernal Affairs (2002) is a gripping tale set in Hong Kong, focusing on two police officers whose lives become inextricably linked. One is a cop who has infiltrated a notorious gang, while the other is a gang member who has...

Direction Akira Kurosawa

Cast Takashi Shimura · Toshirô Mifune · Reisaburo Yamamoto · Chieko Nakakita

Synopsis Drunken Angel (1948) is a gripping tale set in a village plagued by a disease-ridden swamp and a pervasive yakuza presence. The story revolves around a volatile, alcoholic doctor who tends to the community's medical needs. One fateful night, the...

Direction Sydney Pollack

Cast Robert Mitchum · Ken Takakura · Brian Keith · Herb Edelman

Synopsis The Yakuza (1974) follows the journey of Harry Kilmer, who ventures back to Japan after an extended absence to save his friend George's daughter, who has been taken hostage. His mission, however, leads him into a dangerous confrontation with the...

Direction Michael Arias

Synopsis Tekkonkinkreet (2006) unfolds in the vibrant and perilous streets of Treasure Town, where the moon casts a benevolent glow and young boys possess an extraordinary ability to soar through the air. The narrative revolves around Kuro and Shiro, two resilient...

Direction Ringo Lam

Cast Roy Cheung · William Ho · Victor Hon · Lam Ching-Ying

Synopsis School on Fire (1988) follows the journey of a young woman named Yuen Fong, portrayed by Lee. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she inadvertently becomes entangled in the dangerous underworld of the Triad. The narrative unfolds as Yuen...

Direction Takeshi Kitano

Cast Takeshi Kitano · Kayoko Kishimoto · Tetsu Watanabe · Ren Osugi

Synopsis Fireworks (1997) follows the story of Nishi, a dedicated police officer whose life takes a dramatic turn when his wife is diagnosed with leukemia. Meanwhile, one of his partners suffers a severe injury on the job, leaving him wheelchair-bound and...

Direction Kinji Fukasaku

Cast Kinya Kitaoji · Sonny Chiba · Meiko Kaji · Bunta Sugawara

Synopsis The Yakuza Papers, Vol. 2: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima (1973) follows the return of Bunta Sugawara as Shozo Hirono, a character who has become deeply entrenched in a Japanese criminal organization situated in Hiroshima. In this installment, Hirono encounters a...

Direction Michael Mann · Josef Kubota Wladyka · Hikari · Alan Poul

Cast Ansel Elgort · Ken Watanabe · Rachel Keller · Shô Kasamatsu

Synopsis Tokyo Vice (TV Series) (2022) spans 8 episodes, transporting viewers to the late 1990s, where American journalist Jake Adelstein moves to Tokyo to become the first foreign-born reporter for a prominent Japanese newspaper. Mentored by an experienced vice squad detective,...

Direction Takashi Nomura

Cast Jô Shishido · Chitose Kobayashi · Jerry Fujio · Shôki Fukae

Synopsis A Colt Is My Passport (1967) follows a resourceful assassin and his clever accomplice as they execute a daring getaway following a high-stakes assassination. Their actions, however, provoke the fury of a ruthless criminal organization, setting the stage for a...

Direction Kinji Fukasaku

Cast Gorô Ibuki · Nobuo Kaneko · Kinya Kitaoji · Jô Shishido

Synopsis The Yakuza Papers, Vol. 5: Final Episode (1974) follows the aftermath of a brutal power struggle in the criminal underworld. With the conflict for street dominance concluded, a fresh Yakuza group emerges from the ruins. Survivors of the intense violence...

Direction Masahiro Shinoda

Cast Ryo Ikebe · Mariko Kaga · Takashi Fujiki · Chisako Hara

Synopsis Pale Flower (1964) follows the story of Muraki, a seasoned Yakuza gangster who has recently been freed from prison after a murder conviction. Upon his return to society, Muraki revisits his old gambling spots and crosses paths with Saeko, a...

Direction Kinji Fukasaku

Cast Bunta Sugawara · Akira Kobayashi · Tsunehiko Watase · Shingo Yamashiro

Synopsis The Yakuza Papers, Vol. 3: Proxy War (1973) is a pivotal installment in Kinji Fukasaku's celebrated gangster saga, which stands as a defining work of 1970s Japanese cinema. Set in the aftermath of World War II and inspired by the...

Direction Kinji Fukasaku

Cast Bunta Sugawara · Hiroki Matsukata · Kunie Tanaka · Eiko Nakamura

Direction Kinji Fukasaku

Cast Bunta Sugawara · Akira Kobayashi · Tatsuo Umemiya · Toshio Kurosawa

Synopsis The Yakuza Papers, Vol. 4: Police Tactics (1974) marks the intended conclusion of a gripping crime film series, as community organizations and law enforcement unite to confront the Yakuza syndicates. The escalating violence between rival clans reaches a critical point,...

Direction Takeshi Kitano

Cast Takeshi Kitano · Omar Epps · Claude Maki · Masaya Kato

Synopsis Brother (2000) follows the journey of a Japanese Yakuza gangster who is banished to the United States. Takeshi, the protagonist, lands in Los Angeles, where his younger half-brother resides. Despite the unfamiliar territory, Takeshi discovers that the dynamics of power...

Direction Takeshi Kitano

Cast Masanobu Ando · Ken Kaneko · Leo Morimoto · Hatsuo Yamatani

Synopsis Kids Return (1996) follows the journey of two young friends, Shinji and Masaru, who are known for their mischievous behavior in school, including bullying peers and skipping classes to watch movies. After deciding to leave school, they set out to...

Direction Masaki Kobayashi

Cast Fumio Watanabe · Ineko Arima · Tatsuya Nakadai · Asao Sano

Direction Johnnie To

Cast Anthony Wong · Francis Ng · Jackie Lui · Roy Cheung

Synopsis The Mission (1999) follows the story of a powerful Triad leader, Lung, who narrowly escapes an assassination attempt and subsequently hires a group of skilled assassins—Curtis, James, Mike, Roy, and Shin—to ensure his safety. The cohesion of this elite team...

Direction Jūzō Itami

Cast Yasuo Daichi · Nobuko Miyamoto · Kôichi Ueda · Mirei Asaoka