Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s ‘Cloud’ Set to Thrill U.S. Audiences This July!

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As a dedicated movie connoisseur, I’ve long been captivated by the hauntingly brilliant works of Kiyoshi Kurosawa – a mastermind in the realm of Japanese and psychological horror. His narrative prowess is unparalleled, skillfully weaving tales that leave little room for ambiguity, guiding viewers straight to the heart of his thought-provoking films.

In 2024, Kurosawa added another notch to his belt with the chilling psychological thriller Cloud. Now, the highly anticipated film is ready to make its U.S. debut, with a theater release scheduled for Jul. 18, as reported by Deadline. This critically acclaimed production promises an unforgettable journey into the depths of human psyche and fear – an experience not to be missed!

The film titled “Cloud” has been unveiled by Sideshow and Janus Films. Its premiere will first take place in New York City on July 25, followed by Los Angeles. After these initial screenings, it will expand to other parts of the country. The narrative revolves around a factory worker named Yoshii, who climbs up the ladder as an entrepreneur. Despite his drive and lack of direction, he eventually succumbs to greed, manipulating both buyers and sellers in the black market, amassing significant wealth along the way. As Yoshii becomes increasingly engrossed in this secondary venture, he starts drifting away from human connections. However, a sequence of enigmatic occurrences propels Yoshii into an exhilarating predicament.

In the leading roles, we find Masaki Suda portraying Ryosuke Yoshii, an online retailer, with Kotone Furukawa as his partner Akiko, Daiken Okudaira as Sano, Yoshii’s assistant, Amane Okayama as Miyake, and others including Yoshiyoshi Arakawa, Masataka Kubota, and Yutaka Matsushige. The film “Cloud” had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on August 20, 2024, followed by screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was released in Japan on September 27, 2024. Despite not receiving a nomination for the 97th Academy Awards, it garnered significant praise as Japan’s submission. With a remarkable 88% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes based on 44 reviews, “Cloud” is a must-watch thriller directed by Kurosawa.

In 2018, Kurosawa began working on the production of his film, which was partially influenced by an event that transpired in Japan many years prior. During an interview with Filmmaker Magazine, the director disclosed that he has acquaintances who are resellers, and they divulged details about their line of work, which he found intriguing for a narrative. Another factor that sparked inspiration for Cloud was his desire to pen an original action movie script. As fate would have it, discussions with some producers led to the creation of this film. Over the course of six years, his initial script underwent modifications before the movie was finally released.

Kurosawa Wanted To Focus on “Ordinary People Who Become Very Violent”

Real-life occurrences can be truly unsettling, as illustrated by the incident in Japan where individuals who connected online ended up plotting a murder. This story sparked an interest in Kurosawa to create a movie about it. In an interview with FilmMaker Magazine, the director expressed his intentions.

Initially, I contemplated creating a movie filled with intense violence, yet I found myself uncertain about the approach. Instead of resorting to stereotypical characters like yakuza or mafia gangsters, I felt compelled to take a unique direction. This led me on a lengthy journey of trial and error, as I sought something different for my project. It wasn’t until several years after I first conceived the idea — and following numerous attempts at refining it — that I decided to base it on a real-life murder case. My intention was not to highlight ordinary criminals but rather ordinary individuals who become extraordinarily violent.

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2025-05-30 17:03