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Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Den Den, Denden, Asuka Kurosawa, Megumi Kagurazaka ... see more see more... , Taro Suwa , Hikari Kajiwara , Tetsu Watanabe , Makoto Ashikawa , Jyonmyon Pe , Masahiko Sakata , Masaki Miura

From Sion Sono, the director of Love Exposure and Suicide Club. Cold Fish has won acclaim at both the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals. In the film, mild-mannered Shamoto's teenage daughter gets caug... read more read more...ht shoplifting. A generous fellow fish-store owner and his wife appear to help resolve the situation by having her work at their fish store. Too good to be true? You bet! Shamoto soon discovers the horrific truth about this seemingly perfect couple...who inextricably weave him into their grisly rituals. Inspired by true events, Cold Fish is a twisted, brutal, blood-soaked drama that reveals the underlying insanity of an ordinary man pushed well beyond the brink. -- (C) Bloody Disgusting

Flixster Users

76% liked it

1,019 ratings

Critics

79% liked it

19 critics

Unrated, 2 hr. 24 min.

Directed by: Sion Sono

Release Date: August 5, 2011

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DVD Release Date: August 23, 2011

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Stats: 113 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (113)

  • lewiskendell
    November 7, 2011
    lewiskendell
    A chance encounter between two fish store owners pushes a meek, emasculated man to the edge and beyond, in this twisted, horrific tale.

    Cold Fish is one of the most brutal, bloody, and deranged serial killer flicks I've ever seen. Seriously, this is one of those "you have to se... read moree it to believe it" movies that's almost impossible to write a review for, because, well, what do you compare it to? Cold Fish is mean-spirited, misogynistic, bleak, and quite the experience. I don't know if I "recommend" it, you could easily despise this, but I definitely want you try it out if you're brave enough.
  • piranhaa72
    August 27, 2011
    piranhaa72
    Well.... it's just like I Saw The Devil. My review stands the same for both. Can't say which one came out first, but they share the same pros and cons
  • John2223
    August 18, 2011
    John2223
    "ColdFish" is a good serial killer movie based on real events. It is very graphic and violent. It is a psychological horror thriller with some dark humor at times.

    My only issue with the movie and that's why I didn't give it a half star more is because of the pace though engag... read moreing it is slow at times and the running time of the movie is 144 min BUT if you are looking for a thriller and psychological horror with some depth and originallity check this movie.
  • pharms85
    April 20, 2012
    pharms85
    I'm left with mixed emotions. I really can't decide on this one. Good story, but it didn't totally deliver.
  • wumeixian
    February 9, 2012
    wumeixian
    Ok, the ending was fantastic although I found some holes here and there, but which movie doesn't have any hole? They are pretty minor compared to the whole movie, so still bearable for me. The actors and actresses act wonderfully. Sometimes I found it strangely funny... It was al... read moreso not just about the gore. The gore is not the point of interest here, rather it is a part of everything. I like how he put this good guy among the bad guys and the reaction and respond to that is a little over the top, however is also understandable. I can imagine it in manga form, and that's probably why the conclusion is like that, it's in the culture. But it's ok that it is...so Japanese and manga-ish...cos it was indeed a Japanese movie :)
  • andersoj2
    January 28, 2012
    andersoj2
    Skillfully made and shocking, but it's really one big identity crisis of a movie, failing to seamlessly blend several different genres. It also reaches a point where the plot completely gets away, and it just starts tripping all over itself.
  • Cvalda
    July 30, 2011
    Cvalda
    Intensely frustrating dark comedy with a near-brilliant first two acts. Plays like the Coen brothers by way of Japan and features great character actors like Asuka Kurosawa (A Snake of June) and Mitsuru Fukikoshi (Gamera 2) doing good work opposite an insidiously ge... read morenius turn by Denden as the maniacal tropical fish shop owner. Alas, the third act devolves into nothing but reprehensible gore and appalling violence that squanders everything which came before it.
  • sitenoise
    July 20, 2011
    sitenoise
    Major disappointment from one of my favorite directors. This is one of Sono's manly films, like Hazard and Into a Dream. Problem is, his explorations of men are shallow and boring. Men are meek and will be trampled or they YELL a lot and are controlling.

View All Cold Fish Reviews

Critic Reviews

Jeannette Catsoulis
August 4, 2011
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

A deliciously warped wallow in misogyny, depravity and dead-eyed manipulation, "Cold Fish" charts the twisted alliance of two tropical-fish salesmen with baleful glee. Full Review

Mark Olsen
August 2, 2011
Mark Olsen, Village Voice

Cold Fish is wild, head-turning, stomach-churning stuff, and it makes a bracing addition to the overstuffed canon of serial-killer cinema. Full Review

Simon Miraudo
August 17, 2011
Simon Miraudo, Quickflix

Overlong? A tad. Still, at two-and-a-half hours it's 90 minutes shy of its predecessor Love Exposure. Insane fun? Absolutely. Darkly funny and deliriously absurd in all of its bloody glory, I found it... Full Review

Mike McGranaghan
August 6, 2011
Mike McGranaghan, Aisle Seat

Cold Fish is artful and unnerving and, at times, repulsive. Its merit lies in an unrepentant willingness to be all of those things. Full Review

Scott Weinberg
August 5, 2011
Scott Weinberg, FEARnet

Smart, devious, and confrontational filmmaking from a man who's quickly becoming a master at this sort of stuff. Full Review

Bill Gibron
August 4, 2011
Bill Gibron, Filmcritic.com

hilarious, harrowing Full Review

Jaime N. Christley
July 31, 2011
Jaime N. Christley, Slant Magazine

Don't let me talk you out of it--after all, I'm no kibbitzer. Full Review

Allan Hunter
April 14, 2011
Allan Hunter, Daily Express

There are gruelling, gleeful scenes of blood-drenched murder and dismemberment that will test even the hardest stomach. Full Review

Kevin Harley
April 13, 2011
Kevin Harley, Total Film

Gallows humour and character twists offer welcome reprieve from the largely hysterical acting and rivers of viscera. Full Review

Virginie Sélavy
April 13, 2011
Virginie Sélavy, Electric Sheep

Just as with Suicide Club, the deliberate weirdness and detached tone of Cold Fish may initially leave audiences befuddled, but this a sign of its complexity. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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