I Wish

Play trailer

I Wish

PG,

2011,

2h 8m,

Comedy/

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

93%

75 Reviews

Tomatometer

84%

1,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

75 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Forced to live apart due to their parents' separation, a sixth-grader (Koki Maeda) and his younger brother (Ohshiro Maeda) hatch a complicated plan to reunite their family.

Critics Consensus

Elliptical and deliberately paced yet steadily absorbing, I Wish presents a beguiling portrait of childhood that grounds its sweetly nostalgic glow with well-rounded characters and attention to detail.

Read Critics Reviews

Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

Feb 8, 2013

4/5

The film is long and slow but repays close watching because Kore-eda is one of Japan's best contemporary directors and he avoids sentimentality throughout.

Go to Full Review

Tim Robey

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Feb 7, 2013

3/5

Undeniably beguiling, but more manufactured-feeling than Kore-eda's top-drawer work.

Go to Full Review

David Jenkins

Little White Lies

Feb 7, 2013

4/5

The spirit of Spielberg, transplanted to the east. Bliss.

Go to Full Review

Dustin Chang

Floating World

Feb 28, 2021

My favorite part of the film is the static shots of inanimate objects near the end: mementos from their journey. The shots are held just long enough for us to appreciate those shared eternal moments.

Go to Full Review

Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

Oct 4, 2019

10/10

This is such a perfectly formed gem of a film.

Go to Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Jul 24, 2019

Kore-eda's film hits all the right notes, but his secret weapons are his two child leads, Koki and Ohshiro Maeda.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Ron W

Jan 9, 2019

This is a "tale of two cities" and two brothers, and it is a very good one. Hirokazu Koreeda has become a certainty to me: when I am in the mood for a good, quite, touching film, he is my man. "I Wish" is full of lovable characters (mostly little ones, and some big ones) and brilliant scenes. Another gem from this Japanese director, a man that can feel up with poetry every little thing he put on his films.

See more

Read all reviews

Hirokazu Koreeda

Director

Koki Maeda

Koichi

Ohshiro Maeda

Ryunosuke

Ryôga Hayashi

Tasuku

Kyara Uchida

Megumi

Kanna Hashimoto

Kanna

Chhichhore

58%

91%

Chhichhore

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Chhichhore

Miss Granny

83%

88%

Miss Granny

Watchlist

Ride Your Wave

93%

82%

Ride Your Wave

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Ride Your Wave

Garry Winogrand: All Things Are Photographable

97%

90%

Garry Winogrand: All Things Are Photographable

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Garry Winogrand: All Things Are Photographable

Alive and Kicking

100%

93%

Alive and Kicking

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Alive and Kicking

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Critics Consensus: Dark Shadows Doesn’t Scare Up Enough Laughs

View more photos

Synopsis

Forced to live apart due to their parents' separation, a sixth-grader (Koki Maeda) and his younger brother (Ohshiro Maeda) hatch a complicated plan to reunite their family.

Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Producer: Kentaro Koike, Hijiri Taguchi
Screenwriter: Hirokazu Koreeda
Production Co: Bandai Visual Company, East Japan Marketing & Communications Inc, Chugoku Broadcasting (RCC)
Rating: PG (Smoking|Mild Thematic Elements|Language)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 26, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $146.7K
Runtime: 2h 8m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings