Stray Dog + The Bad Sleep Well Double Feature
- Tue, Jan 14
The Frida Cinema's seating is first-come, first-serve. For our Midnight Screenings, please plan on arriving by 11:30pm to ensure ample time for parking, picking up concessions, and securing optimal seats. Screening will begin promptly at midnight.
Director: Akira Kurosawa Run Time: 297 min. Release Year: 1949 Language: Japanese
Starring: Eiko Miyoshi, Keiko Awaji, Noriko Sengoku, Takashi Shimura, Toshirō Mifune
Experience a double feature of Akira Kurosawa’s crime films Stray Dog and The Bad Sleep Well!
In Stray Dog, rookie cop Murakami (Toshiro Mifune) loses his pistol to a pickpocket during a sweltering Tokyo heatwave and embarks on a relentless pursuit to recover it. Teaming up with seasoned detective Sato (Takashi Shimura), Murakami uncovers a connection between the stolen gun and a series of violent crimes. As the investigation progresses, the parallels between Murakami and the desperate criminal they chase blur, reflecting the struggles of a society grappling with poverty and moral decay. Combining gritty realism with profound humanism, Stray Dog is a masterful examination of guilt, redemption, and the thin line between law and lawlessness.
The Bad Sleeps Well follows Koichi Nishi (Mifune), a seemingly loyal employee who marries his boss’s disabled daughter, Yoshiko, to infiltrate a corrupt company responsible for his father’s tragic death. As Nishi uncovers the depths of the company’s greed and malfeasance, his meticulously crafted plan begins to unravel under the weight of human frailty and unforeseen complications. With its noir-inspired aesthetic, sharp critique of postwar corporate Japan, and a chilling sense of inevitability, the film is a powerful exploration of morality, justice, and the personal cost of vengeance.