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Nobody Knows
誰も知らない
2004 141 min Japan PG-13 12+
★8.2
Drama
Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Trailers
Description
In a small Tokyo apartment, twelve-year-old Akira must care for his younger siblings after their mother leaves them and shows no sign of returning.
US Gross:
$684,118
Starring
Yûya Yagira
Actor
Ayu Kitaura
Actor
Hiei Kimura
Actor
Awards
Cannes Film Festival 2004
— Silver Award – Best Actor
Cannes Film Festival 2004
— Palme d'Or
Key opinion
Nobody Knows is a deeply affecting, understated portrait of urban neglect based on the real-life Sugamo incident. While some viewers find the deliberate, detail-oriented pace hypnotic and emotionally profound, others feel the long runtime and lack of dramatic escalation hinder its impact.
| Acting | The child actors deliver remarkably natural, authentic performances that ground the film's tragic narrative. | |
| Direction | The director’s observational, detail-rich style avoids heavy-handed melodrama in favor of a subtle, poignant depiction of childhood survival. | |
| Screenplay | The script effectively balances the harsh reality of the children’s isolation with small, symbolic moments of beauty and resilience. | |
| Pacing | The film's meditative, slow-burn approach is praised by many as hypnotic and essential for building immersion, though critics note the lack of editing leads to an exhausting or overly long experience. |