Overview
A man's quest for joy leads him to the dance floor, where he finds more than just rhythm.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- warm
- intimate
- lazy sunday
- comfort viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard it as an elegantly directed, warmly performed, highly entertaining celebration of self-expression and stepping beyond convention.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Shohei’s ballroom lessons gradually address the depression and dissatisfaction concealed beneath his successful professional life.
Shohei’s identity as an accountant and husband is shaped by the restrained norms of contemporary Japanese working life.
The dance school provides Shohei and the other students a socially meaningful space for self-expression outside work and domestic obligations.
Shohei’s development is interwoven with Mai Kishikawa, Tomio Aoki, Toyoko Takahashi, and other students at the studio.
Films like Shall We Dance?, and why
The Full Monty
warm character-driven comedy about personal renewal through an unfamiliar passion
Billy Elliot
gentle dance-centered drama combining social inhibition, self-expression, and uplifting humor
After Life
Japanese ensemble comedy-drama balancing everyday pressures with liberating artistic expression
Strictly Ballroom
romantic and comic transformation story centered on stepping beyond social expectations
Movie Details
- Director
- Masayuki Suō
- Release Date
- 1996-01-27
- Runtime
- 136 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (187)
Cast
- Koji Yakusho
- Tamiyo Kusakari
- Naoto Takenaka
- Eri Watanabe
- Akira Emoto
- Yuu Tokui
- Hiromasa Taguchi
- Reiko Kusamura
- Hideko Hara
- Hiroshi Miyasaka
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- 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 Shall We Dance? about?
- A melancholy Japanese salaryman finds unexpected emotional renewal when ballroom dancing disrupts the orderly life he thought was complete.
- What is Shall We Dance? like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Shall We Dance? as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Shall We Dance? violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Shall We Dance?.
- What did critics think of Shall We Dance??
- Critics broadly regard it as an elegantly directed, warmly performed, highly entertaining celebration of self-expression and stepping beyond convention.
- Which films are like Shall We Dance??
- Films with a similar feel include The Full Monty, Billy Elliot, After Life, and Strictly Ballroom.
- How long is Shall We Dance??
- Shall We Dance? runs 136 minutes.
- Where can I watch Shall We Dance??
- In United States, Shall We Dance? streams on MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel.
