Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Directing

Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Born

1978-12-16 (47)

Place of birth

Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan

Known for

Directing

Credits

47 titles

Ryusuke Hamaguchi (born 16 December 1978) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Hamaguchi, a graduate of Tokyo University and Tokyo University of Arts, attracted attention in his country with the movie Passion (2008), which he shot for his graduation. Hamaguchi first gained international recognition with the film Happy Hour (2015) and followed it up with Asako I & II (2018). He released two films in 2021, Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy and Drive My Car, receiving three Academy Award nominations for the latter, including Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best International Feature. He is the third Japanese director to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Director.

Known for

The Oscars poster
7.1

An annual American awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements in the film industry. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette, officially the Academy Award of Merit, that is better known by its nickname Oscar.

The Oscars

1953

Drive My Car poster
7.4

Yusuke Kafuku, a stage actor and director, still unable, after two years, to cope with the loss of his beloved wife, accepts to direct Uncle Vanya at a theater festival in Hiroshima. There he meets Misaki, an introverted young woman, appointed to drive his car. In between rides, secrets from the past and heartfelt confessions will be unveiled.

Drive My Car

2021

All of a Sudden poster
8.0

Director of a care facility for the elderly, Marie-Lou strives to introduce an innovative care philosophy based on listening and respecting residents’ dignity, despite resistance from part of her staff. Her encounter with Mari, a Japanese theater director battling cancer, will profoundly reshape her path. By forming a deep, supportive friendship, the two women join forces in a shared struggle to make the impossible possible.

All of a Sudden

2026

Evil Does Not Exist poster
6.8

Takumi and his daughter Hana live in Mizubiki Village, close to Tokyo. One day, the village inhabitants become aware of a plan to build a camping site near Takumi's house offering city residents a comfortable "escape" to nature.

Evil Does Not Exist

2023

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy poster
7.2

An unexpected love triangle, a seduction trap, and a random encounter are the three episodes, told in three movements to depict three female characters and trace the trajectories between their choices and regrets.

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy

2021

Le Cercle poster
NR

As long as there is cinema, LE CERCLE will be there. It is the only television program of critical debates 100% devoted to cinema. Each week, it offers fiery, joyful and non-condescending jousts on the films on the bill; and invites with "Le questionnaire du CERCLE" directors to come and share their passion for cinema.

Le Cercle

2005

Film credits

Series credits

Behind the camera

Drive My Car poster
7.4

Yusuke Kafuku, a stage actor and director, still unable, after two years, to cope with the loss of his beloved wife, accepts to direct Uncle Vanya at a theater festival in Hiroshima. There he meets Misaki, an introverted young woman, appointed to drive his car. In between rides, secrets from the past and heartfelt confessions will be unveiled.

Drive My Car

2021

Drive My Car poster
7.4

Yusuke Kafuku, a stage actor and director, still unable, after two years, to cope with the loss of his beloved wife, accepts to direct Uncle Vanya at a theater festival in Hiroshima. There he meets Misaki, an introverted young woman, appointed to drive his car. In between rides, secrets from the past and heartfelt confessions will be unveiled.

Drive My Car

2021

All of a Sudden poster
8.0

Director of a care facility for the elderly, Marie-Lou strives to introduce an innovative care philosophy based on listening and respecting residents’ dignity, despite resistance from part of her staff. Her encounter with Mari, a Japanese theater director battling cancer, will profoundly reshape her path. By forming a deep, supportive friendship, the two women join forces in a shared struggle to make the impossible possible.

All of a Sudden

2026

All of a Sudden poster
8.0

Director of a care facility for the elderly, Marie-Lou strives to introduce an innovative care philosophy based on listening and respecting residents’ dignity, despite resistance from part of her staff. Her encounter with Mari, a Japanese theater director battling cancer, will profoundly reshape her path. By forming a deep, supportive friendship, the two women join forces in a shared struggle to make the impossible possible.

All of a Sudden

2026

Evil Does Not Exist poster
6.8

Takumi and his daughter Hana live in Mizubiki Village, close to Tokyo. One day, the village inhabitants become aware of a plan to build a camping site near Takumi's house offering city residents a comfortable "escape" to nature.

Evil Does Not Exist

2023

Evil Does Not Exist poster
6.8

Takumi and his daughter Hana live in Mizubiki Village, close to Tokyo. One day, the village inhabitants become aware of a plan to build a camping site near Takumi's house offering city residents a comfortable "escape" to nature.

Evil Does Not Exist

2023

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy poster
7.2

An unexpected love triangle, a seduction trap, and a random encounter are the three episodes, told in three movements to depict three female characters and trace the trajectories between their choices and regrets.

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy

2021

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy poster
7.2

An unexpected love triangle, a seduction trap, and a random encounter are the three episodes, told in three movements to depict three female characters and trace the trajectories between their choices and regrets.

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy

2021

Asako I & II poster
6.8

Asako lives in Osaka. She falls in love with Baku, a free-spirit. One day, Baku suddenly disappears. Two years later, Asako now lives in Tokyo and meets Ryohei. He looks just like Baku, but has a completely different personality.

Asako I & II

2018

Asako I & II poster
6.8

Asako lives in Osaka. She falls in love with Baku, a free-spirit. One day, Baku suddenly disappears. Two years later, Asako now lives in Tokyo and meets Ryohei. He looks just like Baku, but has a completely different personality.

Asako I & II

2018

Happy Hour poster
7.4

Four women in their thirties reevaluate their relationships, both shared and private, after a startling revelation concerning one's marriage forces each of them to ask one of life's biggest questions: "Am I who I want to be?"

Happy Hour

2015

Happy Hour poster
7.4

Four women in their thirties reevaluate their relationships, both shared and private, after a startling revelation concerning one's marriage forces each of them to ask one of life's biggest questions: "Am I who I want to be?"

Happy Hour

2015

Wife of a Spy poster
6.7

It’s 1940, and the population of Japan is divided over its entry into World War II. Satoko, the wife of a fabric merchant, is devoted to her husband but is beginning to suspect he’s up to something. Soon she allows herself to be drawn into a game in which she enigmatically conceals her intentions.

Wife of a Spy

2020

Heaven Is Still Far Away poster
6.6

Yuzo and Mitsuki live together in Yuzo's small apartment, their constant companionship tender and indifferent in turn. Then Yuzo receives a call from Satsuki, a documentarian resolved to make a film about a now-distant family tragedy, and the three meet, to search for some way to account for their relationship with one another, the memories they share, and those they've kept to themselves.

Heaven Is Still Far Away

2016

Heaven Is Still Far Away poster
6.6

Yuzo and Mitsuki live together in Yuzo's small apartment, their constant companionship tender and indifferent in turn. Then Yuzo receives a call from Satsuki, a documentarian resolved to make a film about a now-distant family tragedy, and the three meet, to search for some way to account for their relationship with one another, the memories they share, and those they've kept to themselves.

Heaven Is Still Far Away

2016

The Depths poster
5.6

After a failed wedding shoot, Bae-hwan meets Ryu—a callboy tangled in a murder case—and offers him a way out.

The Depths

2011

The Depths poster
5.6

After a failed wedding shoot, Bae-hwan meets Ryu—a callboy tangled in a murder case—and offers him a way out.

The Depths

2011

Touching the Skin of Eeriness poster
5.9

After his parents die, a teenager goes to live with his older brother. As his loneliness grows, he becomes engrossed in practicing modern dance with his classmate.

Touching the Skin of Eeriness

2013

Touching the Skin of Eeriness poster
5.9

After his parents die, a teenager goes to live with his older brother. As his loneliness grows, he becomes engrossed in practicing modern dance with his classmate.

Touching the Skin of Eeriness

2013

Passion poster
6.3

A young couple's announcement of their engagement to their friends is followed by a series of interactions and conflicts that forces everyone to reflect on their lives.

Passion

2008

Passion poster
6.3

A young couple's announcement of their engagement to their friends is followed by a series of interactions and conflicts that forces everyone to reflect on their lives.

Passion

2008

Solaris poster
4.0

Shot while the director was still in college, the film is a remake of the Russian film of the same name. The man's dead ex who had committed suicide appears in front of him. The ghost has a cross-like scar on her wrist.

Solaris

2007

Solaris poster
4.0

Shot while the director was still in college, the film is a remake of the Russian film of the same name. The man's dead ex who had committed suicide appears in front of him. The ghost has a cross-like scar on her wrist.

Solaris

2007

I Love Thee for Good poster
5.7

While the wedding day should be blissful for the bride, Eiko, there is a secret that she can’t tell her fiance...

I Love Thee for Good

2009

Intimacies poster
6.9

Hamaguchi wrote and directed this film as a graduation project for the students at ENBU Seminar (film and theater school in Tokyo) when he taught there. It is a three-part film: The first part is a documentary-style production of a play; Then the actual full stage production of the play; and the epilogue. Poetry and written words play the central role in the movie.

Intimacies

2013

Intimacies poster
6.9

Hamaguchi wrote and directed this film as a graduation project for the students at ENBU Seminar (film and theater school in Tokyo) when he taught there. It is a three-part film: The first part is a documentary-style production of a play; Then the actual full stage production of the play; and the epilogue. Poetry and written words play the central role in the movie.

Intimacies

2013

Like Nothing Happened poster
6.8

Some youths interact at a bar, a horse race and a bowling alley. A girl who has been visiting from out of town ,on her train ride back, reads aloud a list of vocabulary definitions from a dictionary.

Like Nothing Happened

2003

Like Nothing Happened poster
6.8

Some youths interact at a bar, a horse race and a bowling alley. A girl who has been visiting from out of town ,on her train ride back, reads aloud a list of vocabulary definitions from a dictionary.

Like Nothing Happened

2003

Like Nothing Happened poster
6.0

A maiden work by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, and the origin to his later masterpieces “Passion” (2008), the 255 minute long “Intimacies” (2012), and the 317 minute long “Happy Hour” (2015). The unusual, usual life and the ever wandering souls of 5 young men and women, captured on 8mm film.

Like Nothing Happened

2003

Like Nothing Happened poster
6.0

A maiden work by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, and the origin to his later masterpieces “Passion” (2008), the 255 minute long “Intimacies” (2012), and the 317 minute long “Happy Hour” (2015). The unusual, usual life and the ever wandering souls of 5 young men and women, captured on 8mm film.

Like Nothing Happened

2003

GIFT poster
9.0

We follow Takumi and his daughter who lead a modest life in the village in the middle of nature. One day Takumi receives word that there are plans to build a glamping site near his home. The discovery that wastewater will be piped into the village’s water source not only causes unrest among the residents, but also affects Takumi’s life.

GIFT

2023

GIFT poster
9.0

We follow Takumi and his daughter who lead a modest life in the village in the middle of nature. One day Takumi receives word that there are plans to build a glamping site near his home. The discovery that wastewater will be piped into the village’s water source not only causes unrest among the residents, but also affects Takumi’s life.

GIFT

2023

Voices from the Waves - Shinchimachi poster
6.0

A companion piece to Voices from the Waves Kesennuma that forms half of the second installment in a documentary trilogy on the Tohoku region, co-directed by Sakai Ko and Hamaguchi Ryusuke. It captures dialogues between closely-linked people in accordance with the directors' objective of passing on experiences of the Great East Japan Earthquake, which is inspired by the folk tale tradition of the Tohoku region.

Voices from the Waves - Shinchimachi

2013

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Go to the Movies

2001

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Go to the Movies

2001

The Sound of Waves poster
7.0

The first part of a trilogy focusing on the northeast Tohoku region, co-directed by Sakai Ko and Hamaguchi Ryusuke. Impromptu interviews were carried out with disaster victims mainly along the Sanriku Coast, which had been ravaged by tsunamis several times prior to the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, and makes emotional discoveries within dialogues between close-knit people including families and workmates.

The Sound of Waves

2012

Attack poster
NR

A short film by Ryusuke Hamaguchi when he was at Tokyo University of the Arts.

Attack

2006

Voices from the Waves - Kesennuma poster
7.0

A companion piece to Voices from the Waves Shinchimachi that forms half of the second installment in a documentary trilogy on the Tohoku region, co-directed by Sakai Ko and Hamaguchi Ryusuke. Through numerous interviews, they concentrate on the experiences and emotions of people, not as victims but as individuals.

Voices from the Waves - Kesennuma

2013

No artwork available
NR

When returning from a wedding, friends talk about their fears.

Friend of the Night

2005

No artwork available
NR

When returning from a wedding, friends talk about their fears.

Friend of the Night

2005