The story takes some kooky turns and, at times, delves into the supernatural.
Tokyo Godfathers(東京ゴッドファーザーズ)
✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ Read critic reviews
Japan · 2003
Rated PG-13 · 1h 33m
Director Satoshi Kon
Starring Aya Okamoto, Yoshiaki Umegaki, Toru Emori, Satomi Kourogi
Genre Animation, Drama
Add to Watchlist
Please login to add films to your watchlist.
One Christmas Eve three homeless people — middle-aged alcoholic Gin, former drag queen Hana, and teenaged runaway Miyuki — discover an abandoned newborn while searching through the garbage for presents and set out on a journey to return her to her parents. A bizarre, heartwarming holiday tragicomedy inspired by Peter B. Kyne's novel "Three Godfathers."
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt
The story is sweet by animé standards, although it has harsh elements as well.
The film is as lively as a cricket and often very funny, but it's not for the cyberpunk crowd.
A welcome exercise in anime weirdness.
Wall Street Journal by Joe Morgenstern
A singularly strange and affecting comedy.
With its masterful grasp of comedy, pathos, social commentary and mystical weirdness, Tokyo Godfathers takes anime to a whole new level.
Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum
Like the comic strips of Ben Katchor, Tokyo Godfathers artfully appreciates the beauty and humanity in junked lives and landscapes.
Los Angeles Times by Manohla Dargis
As with the greatest animated films, the triumph of Kon's work lies not just in its beauty and singularly sophisticated storytelling but in how that beauty and storytelling combine to give the films a sting so human you can forget you're watching a cartoon.
The A.V. Club by Tasha Robinson
No amount of shoehorned-in razzle-dazzle can keep this forced fable from feeling like a shadow of Kon's early work.
Users who liked this film also liked
Mouchette
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1967
- Director Robert Bresson
- Cast Nadine Nortier, Jean-Claude Guilbert, Marie Cardinal, Paul Hébert, Jean Vimenet, Marie Susini
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel
Paprika
(パプリカ)
Just anyone can let themselves into your dreams now...
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2006
- Director Satoshi Kon
- Cast Megumi Hayashibara, Tōru Furuya, Kouichi Yamadera, Katsunosuke Hori, Toru Emori
- Genre Animation, Drama, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, AMC on Demand
Perfect Blue
(パーフェクトブルー)
A retired pop singer starts to lose her hold on reality when she is stalked by an obsessive fan.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1998
- Director Satoshi Kon
- Cast Junko Iwao, Rica Matsumoto, Shinpachi Tsuji, Masaaki Ōkura, Yōsuke Akimoto, Yoku Shioya
- Genre Animation, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube
The Cooler
When your life depends on losing... the last thing you need is lady luck.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, United States • 2003
- Director Wayne Kramer
- Cast William H. Macy, Alec Baldwin, Maria Bello, Shawn Hatosy, Ron Livingston, Paul Sorvino
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, AMC on Demand, Tubi TV, Pluto TV, Freevee
Big Man Japan
(大日本人)
A middle-aged slacker uses electricity to transform into Big Man Japan, a mediocre superhero who defends Japan from giant monsters.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2007
- Director Hitoshi Matsumoto
- Cast Hitoshi Matsumoto, UA, Itsuji Itao, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Daisuke Miyagawa, Hiroyuki Miyasako
- Genre Action, Animation, Comedy, Science Fiction
- Available on No streaming locations found.
The Sky Crawlers
(スカイ・クロラ The Sky Crawlers
)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2008
- Director Mamoru Oshii
- Cast Chiaki Kuriyama, Rinko Kikuchi, Ryo Kase, Shosuke Tanihara, Megumi Yamaguchi, Daisuke Hirakawa
- Genre Action, Adventure, Animation, War, Science Fiction
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, The Roku Channel
Angel's Egg
(天使のたまご)
A young girl protects a mysterious egg while exploring the ruins of a city and bonding with a young boy.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1985
- Director Mamoru Oshii
- Cast Keiichi Noda, Mako Hyoudou, Jinpachi Nezu
- Genre Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Scandal Makers
(과속스캔들)
One daughter and a grandson blew his perfect single life away!
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2008
- Director Kang Hyung-chul
- Cast Cha Tae-hyun, Park Bo-young, Wang Seok-hyeon, Hwang Woo-seul-hye, Im Ji-gyu, Lim Seung-dae
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Music
- Available on Amazon Video, Freevee, Kanopy
Quiet Chaos
(Caos calmo)
When a man loses his wife unexpectedly, he drops everything to sit outside his daughter's school every day.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, United Kingdom • 2008
- Director Antonello Grimaldi
- Cast Nanni Moretti, Alessandro Gassmann, Valeria Golino, Isabella Ferrari, Blu Yoshimi, Hippolyte Girardot
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Millennium Actress
(千年女優)
A documentary filmmaker interviews an aged actress about her legendary career.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2002
- Director Satoshi Kon
- Cast Miyoko Shoji, Mami Koyama, Fumiko Orikasa, Shozo Iizuka, Masaya Onosaka, Showko Tsuda
- Genre Animation, Drama, Romance
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Fandor Amazon Channel, Crunchyroll, Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus, Retrocrush, AsianCrush, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Shout! Factory TV, Freevee, Cineverse
Son of the White Mare
(Fehérlófia)
Three heroes, Treeshaker and his two brothers, embark on a dazzling and epic quest to save the universe.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hungary • 1981
- Director Marcell Jankovics
- Cast György Cserhalmi, Pap Vera, Gyula Szabó, Mari Szemes, Ferenc Szalma
- Genre Adventure, Animation, Fantasy
- Available on Night Flight Plus, Metrograph, Kanopy
The Illusionist
(L'illusionniste)
When life loses its wonder, all it takes is one person who still believes in magic.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, United Kingdom • 2010
- Director Sylvain Chomet
- Cast Jean-Claude Donda, Eilidh Rankin, Jacques Tati
- Genre Animation, Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, AMC on Demand
The Terrace
(La terrazza)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, France • 1980
- Director Ettore Scola
- Cast Vittorio Gassman, Ugo Tognazzi, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Marcello Mastroianni, Stefania Sandrelli, Carla Gravina
- Genre Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
The Sign of Four
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 1987
- Director Peter Hammond
- Cast Jeremy Brett, Edward Hardwicke, Jenny Seagrove, Ronald Lacey, John Thaw, Emrys James
- Genre TV Movie, Adventure, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
- Available on The Roku Channel, Plex, Plex Channel
Bear Story
(Historia de un oso)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Chile • 2014
- Director Gabriel Osorio
- Cast
- Genre Animation, Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Frenzy
(Abluka)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Turkey, France, Qatar • 2015
- Director Emin Alper
- Cast Mehmet Özgür, Berkay Ateş, Tülin Özen, Müfit Kayacan, Ozan Akbaba, Yavuz Pekman
- Genre Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Good Morning
(オハヨウ)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2007
- Director Satoshi Kon
- Cast
- Genre Animation, Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.