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The Eel

Play trailer Poster for The Eel 1997,  1h 56m,  Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 86% 28 Reviews Tomatometer 82% 2,500+ Ratings Popcornmeter
86% Tomatometer 28 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Freed after spending eight years in prison for killing his unfaithful wife in a jealous rage, Takuro Yamashita (Koji Yakusho) opens a barber shop and spends his free time communing with the pet eel he got while in prison. One day, he saves a young woman named Keiko Hattori (Misa Shimizu) from committing suicide, and offers her a job in his shop. Despite the pair's growing mutual attraction, Takuro's enduring guilt over his wife's murder obstructs the growth of their relationship.

Critics Reviews

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Jake Cole Slant Magazine Apr 17, 2025
Like much of Imamura Shôhei’s work, The Eel deals frankly with matters of sex and sexuality, but with an emotional detachment akin to an anthropological study. Go to Full Review
Kevin Thomas Los Angeles Times Feb 14, 2001
Unpredictable and captivating. Go to Full Review
Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle Jan 1, 2000
4/5
A flash of quiet brilliance that resonates long after the images have faded from the screen. Go to Full Review
Marcelo Paredes Cinencuentro Jul 20, 2026
...The Eel ultimately constructs a story that insists that, even when all seems lost, it is still possible to do something to change our situation. It is still possible to find some order, some clarity, and some light. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Douglas Davidson Elements of Madness Apr 15, 2025
Through Imamura’s film, concepts of violence, greed, and lust are ruminated on and manipulated until one’s own straight-forward beliefs regarding redemption are challenged in this surprisingly hopeful, though familiar, tale. Go to Full Review
Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com Oct 12, 2005
3/5
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The Eel

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Cast & Crew

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Shôhei Imamura

Director

Kôji Yakusho

Takuro Yamashita

Misa Shimizu

Keiko Hattori

Fujio Tsuneta

Jiro Nakajima

Mitsuko Baishô

Misako Nakajima

Akira Emoto

Tamotsu Takasaki

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The Eel

The Eel (1997) The Eel (1997) The Eel (1997) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Freed after spending eight years in prison for killing his unfaithful wife in a jealous rage, Takuro Yamashita (Koji Yakusho) opens a barber shop and spends his free time communing with the pet eel he got while in prison. One day, he saves a young woman named Keiko Hattori (Misa Shimizu) from committing suicide, and offers her a job in his shop. Despite the pair's growing mutual attraction, Takuro's enduring guilt over his wife's murder obstructs the growth of their relationship.
Director
Shôhei Imamura
Producer
Hisa Iino
Screenwriter
Shôhei Imamura, Daisuke Tengan, Motofumi Tomikawa, Takashi Yoshimura, Akira Yoshimura
Distributor
New Yorker Films
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Theaters)
May 12, 1997, Original
Box Office (Gross USA)
$413.8K
Runtime
1h 56m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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