Overview
A gripping tale of love and loyalty set against the backdrop of war.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- melancholic
- foreboding
- serious film night
- historical cinema viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised its tense, character-driven historical drama, period atmosphere, and Yu Aoi’s nuanced performance, while noting a slow opening and thin backstory for some supporting characters.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Yūsaku’s attempt to act against Japanese government conduct in Manchuria turns the spy premise into a morally focused wartime drama.
Satoko and Yūsaku’s relationship is tested when his clandestine opposition to state policy threatens their safety and shared life.
The well-to-do Fukuharas’ domestic and social environments contrast with the tightening wartime order and investigative menace.
Satoko begins as a well-to-do actress but is drawn into the consequences of occupation, murder, and her husband’s political conscience.
Films like Wife of a Spy, and why
The Lives of Others
period espionage, moral compromise, and intimate marital tension under wartime authoritarianism
The Human Condition
japanese wartime drama centered on personal conscience, state violence, and a marriage under pressure
Black Book
stylized historical espionage, shifting loyalties, and psychological tension in an oppressive political climate
Atonement
melancholic period romance shaped by secrecy, betrayal, and the moral costs of political conflict
Movie Details
- Director
- Kiyoshi Kurosawa
- Release Date
- 2020-10-16
- Runtime
- 114 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (107)
Cast
- Yu Aoi
- Issey Takahashi
- Masahiro Higashide
- Ryota Bando
- Yuri Tsunematsu
- Hyunri
- Takashi Sasano
- Sakichi Sato
- Chuck Johnson
- Maki Nishiyama
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Kino Film Collection
- 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 Wife of a Spy about?
- A privileged Japanese actress is forced to choose between marital loyalty and conscience when her husband challenges wartime state crimes.
- What is Wife of a Spy like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Wife of a Spy as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Wife of a Spy violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Wife of a Spy as moderate.
- What did critics think of Wife of a Spy?
- Critics broadly praised its tense, character-driven historical drama, period atmosphere, and Yu Aoi’s nuanced performance, while noting a slow opening and thin backstory for some supporting characters.
- Which films are like Wife of a Spy?
- Films with a similar feel include The Lives of Others, The Human Condition, Black Book, and Atonement.
- How long is Wife of a Spy?
- Wife of a Spy runs 114 minutes.
- Where can I watch Wife of a Spy?
- In United States, Wife of a Spy streams on Kino Film Collection.
