Watch at Home 07.25.2025

Great Absence

Directed by Kei Chikaura
Film Movement
2023
133 Minutes
Japan
Japanese
Drama, Asian
Not Rated
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Distanced from his father Yohji for twenty years, Takashi is brought back home by a jarring police call – Yohji (Tatsuya Fuji, "In the Realm of the Senses") has disconnected from reality due to dementia, and his second wife Naomi (Hideko Hara, "Shall We Dance?") is missing. Asked where she is, the old man replies that she committed suicide. While trying to find out the truth about his stepmother, Takashi traces the past of Yohji he has never been able to accept.

Director & Cast

  • Director: Kei Chikaura
  • Starring: Mirai Moriyama
  • Starring: Tatsuya Fuji
  • Starring: Yoko Maki
  • Starring: Hideko Hara

Where to Watch

Trailer

Photos

Reviews

  • "Critic's Pick! [A] moving drama...structured quite magnificently by Kumano and Chika-ura, directing only his second feature. To follow it all requires close attention, but it’s an attention that’s rewarded."
    Alissa Wilkinson, The New York Times
  • "Delicately devastating.... [I]t gets its fire and ice from the legendary Fuji (“In the Realm of the Senses”), who creates an unforgettable portrait of Yohji’s loss of faculty...."
    Jessica Kiang, Variety
  • "Great Absence, is not natural and convincing in spite of its thrilling blend of Florian Zeller’s The Father and Bong Joon-ho’s Memories of Murder, but because of it. Great Absence‘s achronological structure is a triumph."
    Oliver Weir, The Film Stage
  • "Tightly knotted -- but quietly immense."
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire
  • "“Great Absence” never loses its nuance, thanks both to its refined direction and a truly stellar performance from the legendary Tatsuya Fuji. The iconic star of “In the Realm of the Senses” won an acting award at San Sebastian, and it’s easy to see why."
    Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com
  • "A beguiling and touching transference of understanding across time and memory."
    Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
  • "It's quite moving and really noteworthy for the performance of the veteran Japanese actor Tatsuya Fuji."
    Claudia Puig, FilmWeek (KPCC)
  • "A deeply felt performance by Fuji infuses the inherent melancholy with empathetic grace, quiet dignity, and relatable humanity."
    Todd Jorgenson, Cinemalogue
Winner
Best Leading Performance
San Sebastián Int'l. Film Festival
Winner
Ateneo Guipuzcoano Award
San Sebastián Int'l. Film Festival
Winner
Golden Gate Award
San Francisco Int'l. Film Festival
Nominated
Golden Seashell for Best Film
San Sebastián Int'l. Film Festival
Nominated
Dragon Award
Göteborg Film Festival
Nominated
Platform Prize
Toronto Int'l. Film Festival