The Third Murder - English subtitled
Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda (Nobody Knows) takes a fascinating left turn with this intricate murder mystery, about a defence attorney who believes that his client is the fall guy for a sinister conspiracy.
THE THIRD MURDER marks an alluring departure from the sage meditations on family life for which the Japanese maestro is known. Yet, this being Kore-eda, it comes as no surprise that the film proves to be much more than a genre exercise.
It seems clear from the first scene that Misumi robbed and killed an industrialist – Misumi freely admits as much, claiming he was desperate to settle a gambling debt. But defence attorney Shigemori isn’t entirely satisfied with his mild-mannered client’s testimony. As Shigemori and his team go about their research, secret histories are brought to light, inconsistencies surface and unlikely alliances point to a more complicated set of circumstances.