Overview
An unlikely duo embarks on a whimsical journey filled with laughter and unexpected surprises.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- whimsical
- witty
- wistful
- reflective evening
- summer afternoon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an inventive but uneven comedy-drama whose emotional warmth and eccentric road-trip humor were balanced by a meandering structure.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Kikujiro reluctantly accompanies Masao on a long journey to find the mother Masao has never met.
The excursion uses oddball encounters and comic adventures alongside Masao's loneliness and difficult family circumstances.
Masao undertakes the trip because he is determined to meet the mother he has never known.
The story unfolds during a Japanese summer road trip involving long-distance travel, hitchhiking, and encounters with eccentric strangers.
Films like Kikujiro, and why
Little Miss Sunshine
whimsical road movie structure, child adult companionship, and a balance of comedy with emotional poignancy
The Straight Story
tender coming-of-age travel narrative blending eccentric humor, loneliness, and found-family warmth
Our Little Sister
japanese road movie atmosphere, deadpan comedy, and emotionally complicated intergenerational companionship
Movie Details
- Director
- Takeshi Kitano
- Release Date
- 1999-06-05
- Runtime
- 121 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (618)
Cast
- Takeshi Kitano
- Yusuke Sekiguchi
- Kayoko Kishimoto
- Yuko Daike
- Kazuko Yoshiyuki
- Beat Kiyoshi
- The Great Gidayû
- Rakkyo Ide
- Nezumi Imamura
- Fumie Hosokawa
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Kikujiro about?
- A reckless adult and a lonely boy stumble through a strange summer road trip that turns accidental companionship into hard-won tenderness.
- What is Kikujiro like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Kikujiro as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Kikujiro violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Kikujiro as mild.
- What did critics think of Kikujiro?
- Critics broadly found the film an inventive but uneven comedy-drama whose emotional warmth and eccentric road-trip humor were balanced by a meandering structure.
- Which films are like Kikujiro?
- Films with a similar feel include Little Miss Sunshine, The Straight Story, and Our Little Sister.
- How long is Kikujiro?
- Kikujiro runs 121 minutes.
- Where can I watch Kikujiro?
- In United States, Kikujiro is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
