The Blood of Wolves

孤狼の血

Directed by: Kazuya Shiraishi
2018 / 126 minutes / Strictly 18+

A gritty cop thriller set in 1980s Hiroshima at the brink of a yakuza turf war

Screened as part of the JFF 2018.

Detective Ogami (Koji Yakusho) is an old school cop notorious for cutting deals with yakuza to solve cases. His methods may challenge police rules but he always gets results. His new partner, rookie cop Hioka (Tori Matsuzaka), has his reservations—an elite grad from the Police Academy, he’s a straight arrow who would rather arrest gangsters than befriend them.

When an accountant is reported missing, Hioka thinks they’re investigating a regular kidnapping case. However, as Ogami drags him along a trail of pachinko bars, yakuza lairs, and brothels, they discover that a war is brewing amongst the yakuza. Hioka soon realises that the Hiroshima underworld is a complex ecosystem that could explode at any time and that Ogami, corrupt as he may be, could be the only one skilled enough to diffuse it.

Director Kazuya Shiraishi (Birds Without Names) directs an ultra-stylish and visceral detective story filled with old school yakuza thrills and fresh twists, while Junya Ikegami’s solid script deftly guides the audience through the meandering world of cops and yakuza.

65th Sydney Film Festival – Official Selection; 17th New York Asian Film Festival – Official Selection