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Gozu

Gozu

2003129 minRMidcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Director
Takashi Miike
Starring
Shō Aikawa, Yûta Sone, Kimika Yoshino, Shôhei Hino

Minami mistakenly kills a gangster associate of his named Brother. Almost as soon as the murder takes place, the body of the deceased man is gone, prompting Minami to conduct a search. While looking, he finds a mysterious isolated hotel where he decides to take a rest. Not only are the front desk clerks a bit strange, but even the ambiance feels unusual. Minami soon realizes he may have gotten more than he bargained for.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Gozu?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Gozu streaming on Cineverse via Prime Video and Screambox via Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Gozu?

Gozu earns 9 badges, led by One of a kind and Atmospheric.

Show 1 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Gozu worth watching?

Gozu's Midcredits score is the 77th percentile of all films, from 34K ratings across 6 sources. 68% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

77th percentile

Better received than 77% of films

79th percentile among Crime75th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)75th
Approval (how many liked it)76th

69 /100

75th percentile of all films

79th percentile among Crime75th percentile among 2000s

Critics 58 · Audience 70

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.0 — solid but not unanimous.

68% liked it

76th percentile of all films

77th percentile among Crime74th percentile among 2000s
68% rated it 7–1032% rated it 1–6

Critics 73% · Audience 80%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 2 wins / 2 noms overall

87th percentile

34K ratings across platforms

84th percentile among Crime80th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 16% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$5K
Domestic gross$58K
Worldwide gross$59K

23rd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A deeply strange, slow-paced Yakuza surrealist film filled with bizarre characters.

Fans praised

  • surrealist Lynch-Cronenberg dream logic
  • memorable grotesque dark comedy
  • atmospheric and uniquely original

Detractors panned

  • tedious and meandering pacing
  • pretentious meaninglessness

What stands out

OriginalityDivisive90

truly unique and unclassifiable

AtmosphereDivisive85

pervasive nightmarish unease

ActingDivisive72

bewildered natural lead; unhinged supporting turns

HumorDivisive70

dark absurdist comedy that often shocks laughter

Sound and musicDivisive70

creepy cello and abrasive sound design

EndingDivisive65

shocking and unforgettable resolution

Plot and storyDivisive35

minimal plot recedes into dreamlike episodes

PacingDivisive30

often slow and meandering

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 20 points higher than women.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 20 points higher than critics.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is Gozu like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want to be scared.

It has a few laughs, swings between moods and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you can only half-watch or you want every question answered.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
DreadAbsurd
Heaviest: middle
Dark humor
Register
Deadpan · 1% of films: Delivered flat and unsmiling, which is the joke.Absurdist · 7% of films: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film presents its bizarre, surreal events with deadpan seriousness, creating an unsettling hybrid of horror and comedy.
The rideTension builds during the journey with surreal shifts in the middle stretch.
StructureThe story follows Minami's linear journey from yakuza headquarters through a surreal road trip to the underworld.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

Haunting · 14% of filmsUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayA surreal and disturbing experience that lingers in the mind long after the final frames.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestRescue
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% (this title) · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Rescue: Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).

10% of films fit this archetype

with Voyage and return underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeMinami's search for his vanished colleague drives a surreal road journey through a strange underworld, echoing the Orpheus myth.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% (this title) · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsIsolation · 5% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores fractured identity and alienation through the bizarre disappearance and transformation of a senior yakuza.
StanceThe film questions identity and loyalty without clear judgment, focusing on the personal ordeal.

The world

ContemporaryIn transitRuralStylized realism
ExperimentalAmbientSupportive music · original score · Kôji Endô
SettingJapanese underworld road trip
MusicThe score likely underscores the surreal, uneasy atmosphere.

Content guide

Is Gozu okay for kids?

R

Gozu is rated R: “Rated R for aberrant sexual and violent content, and for language” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (83/100), sexual content at intense (75/100), language at moderate (50/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at severe (83/100). Overall it is heavier than 75% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • UK18
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 85% of all filmsHeavier than 75% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 70%
Sex & Nudity
Intense
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 93%
Profanity
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 22%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 25%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 83%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence, frightening material, and sexual content. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Gozu have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Gozu?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Shō Aikawa
as Ozaki
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Yûta Sone
as Minami
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Kimika Yoshino
as Female Ozaki
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Shôhei Hino
as Nose
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Keiko Tomita
as Innkeeper
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Harumi Sone
as Innkeeper's Brother
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Renji Ishibashi
as Boss
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ken'ichi Endō
as Endo
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kanpei Hazama
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Masaya Katô

Crew

Directed by

Takashi Miike

Written by

Sakichi Sato

Cinematography

Kazunari Tanaka

Edited by

Yasushi Shimamura

Music by

Kôji Endô

Produced by

Kanako KoidoHarumi Sone

More like this

What are movies like Gozu?

Movies like Gozu include Dead or Alive (1999), Ichi the Killer (2001) and Boiling Point (1990). Of the 12 closest matches, several are stories about gangsters, and most are films set in Japan.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Takashi Miike directed 6 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Gozu?

1K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: gangster. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.