Overview
A detective grapples with loss and guilt as he navigates a world of crime and desperation.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- melancholic
- austere
- quietly romantic
- quiet evening
- reflective viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an acclaimed, formally distinctive fusion of serenity, brutality, mourning, and visual precision.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Nishi's reckless confrontations and criminal dealings are contrasted with silent domestic moments and contemplative scenes by the sea.
Nishi arranges a final period of shared life with his terminally ill wife after she is allowed to leave the hospital.
Horibe becomes paraplegic and struggles after losing the police career that defined his life, while Nishi abandons conventional police duty.
The film relies on restrained behavior, visual composition, and small shared gestures to convey grief, guilt, and affection.
Films like Fireworks, and why
Sonatine
shared blend of restrained crime violence, mournful intimacy, and emotionally isolated protagonists
Violent Cop
shared Japanese crime drama mode, stoic male lead, sudden brutality, and contemplative pacing
Ikiru
shared themes of terminal illness, mourning, devotion, and quiet emotional devastation
Le Samouraï
shared austere atmosphere, criminal underworld pressure, and elliptical storytelling centered on damaged men
Movie Details
- Director
- Takeshi Kitano
- Release Date
- 1997-10-30
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (808)
Cast
- Takeshi Kitano
- Kayoko Kishimoto
- Ren Osugi
- Susumu Terajima
- Tetsu Watanabe
- Hakuryu
- Yasuei Yakushiji
- Tarô Itsumi
- Kenichi Yajima
- Makoto Ashikawa
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Fireworks about?
- A guilt-ridden detective turns to desperate crime to give his terminally ill wife a final stretch of tenderness while a wounded colleague searches for a reason to continue.
- What is Fireworks like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Fireworks as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Fireworks violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Fireworks as brutal.
- What did critics think of Fireworks?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an acclaimed, formally distinctive fusion of serenity, brutality, mourning, and visual precision.
- Which films are like Fireworks?
- Films with a similar feel include Sonatine, Violent Cop, Ikiru, and Le Samouraï.
- How long is Fireworks?
- Fireworks runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch Fireworks?
- In United States, Fireworks is available to rent or buy from Google Play Movies, YouTube.
