Prime Video has set a February global premiere for “Broken Rage,” the latest feature from acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Kitano.
The genre-hybrid project, both directed by and starring Kitano, takes an innovative approach by splitting its runtime into two distinct segments. The first half delivers a gritty crime thriller following a hitman caught between law enforcement and yakuza forces, while the second portion reimagines the same narrative through a comedic lens using self-parody techniques.
The streamer has assembled a powerhouse cast led by Golden Globe winner Tadanobu Asano (“Shogun”), marking his third collaboration with Kitano following “Zatōichi” (2003) and “Kubi” (2023). Joining him is Nao Omori, who makes “Broken Rage” his sixth Kitano project after memorable turns in “Dolls” (2002), “Achilles and the Tortoise” (2008), “Outrage Coda” (2017), and “Kubi” (2023).
The yakuza hierarchy features Shidō Nakamura, fresh off his Kitano debut in “Kubi” (2023), and veteran collaborator Hakuryu. The expansive ensemble includes Takashi Nishina, Shohei Uno, Shoken Kunimoto, Masato Yano, Shiro Maeda, Jun Akiyama, and a fresh injection of comedic talent with Gekidan Hitori, Masanori Hasegawa, Azusa Babazono, and Mogura Suzuki making their Kitano film debuts. Composer Shinya Kiyozuka provides the score.
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The film, which Kitano himself describes as an “experimental endeavor,” explores his conceptual interest in finding “comedy within a violent film.” Following its Venice Film Festival 2024 Out of Competition screening, “Broken Rage” represents a milestone as the first Japanese streaming-exclusive production to receive an official selection at the prestigious festival.
The film debuts globally on Prime Video on Feb. 13. It will drop simultaneously in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide as part of the streaming platform’s continued push into original international content.