Actor Tadanobu Asano (1973)

Based on the book by Aileen Mioko Smith and W. Eugene Smith, Minamata (2020) is a powerful biographical drama directed by Andrew Levitas. It features Johnny Depp (also producer) as W. Eugene Smith, an American photographer renowned for his World War II photojournalism. The film focuses on his assignment to Minamata, Kumamoto, where he witnesses the devastating effects of mercury poisoning on the locals due to industrial negligence by the Chisso Corporation. Premiering at the ...

Midway (2019) is a war film that depicts the crucial Battle of Midway, which marked a turning point in the Pacific Theater during World War II. In December 1937, American naval attaché intelligence officer Lieutenant Commander Edwin T. Layton receives a warning from Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto during a state function. The Japanese leader emphasizes that their country’s dependence on imported oil means they would be forced to declare war if the US were to threaten their supply. And so it happens on December 7, 1941, when Japan launches a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor after the US cuts off their oil supply. In response to this act of aggression, Lieutenant Richard ...

Silence (2016) is an epic historical drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Shūsaku Endō. The story follows two devout Portuguese Catholic priests, Sebastião Rodrigues and Francisco Garupe, who embark on a journey to Japan in 1633. Their mission: to uncover the truth behind their mentor Father Cristovão Ferreira’s abrupt end of correspondence. Despite hearing rumors of Ferreira’s apostasy, the determined Jesuit missionaries press on, facing brutal anti-Christian purges in their search for their friend and ...

47 Ronin (2013) is an American film set in feudal Japan. It tells the story of the forty-seven rōnin, a group of masterless samurai who sought revenge for their daimyō Asano Naganori’s death at the hands of his rival Kira Yoshinaka. The film, based on the Japanese legend of Chūshingura, was directed by Carl Rinsch and written by Chris Morgan and Hossein Amini from an idea by Morgan and Walter Hamada. In this ...

Thor: The Dark World (2013), an American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character, brings us back to the world of Asgard. This film is produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Serving as a sequel to Thor (2011) and the eighth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it tells the story of an ancient clash between Bor, Odin’s father, and Malekith—the Dark Elf who seeks to unleash the Aether on the Nine Realms. After defeating Malekith and his powerful army, including warriors known as Kursed, Bor sends the Aether to a hidden world beyond anyone’s reach. However, what he doesn’t ...

Battleship (2012) is an American military science fiction action film, adapted from the popular board game. Directed by Peter Berg from a script by brothers Jon and Erich Hoeber, the film takes place in 2005 on ‘Planet G’, a possibly habitable world. During this time, a communications array is constructed in Oahu to connect with any extraterrestrial life. It is here where Alex Hopper crosses paths with Samantha Shane, daughter of Admiral Terrance Shane, while trying to impress her. After getting arrested, ...

Thor (2011) is an American superhero movie centered around the Marvel Comics character of the same name. The film was produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures, making it the fourth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The story takes place in 965 AD, where Odin, king of Asgard, leads a battle against the Frost Giants of Jotunheim and their leader Laufey to protect the Nine Realms from their conquest plans. After defeating them and taking control of their source of power, the Casket of Ancient Winters, Thor’s father prepares to pass down his throne. However, this process is disrupted when Loki secretly allows Frost Giants ...