Famous detective Kindaichi solves a series of mysterious murders in a wealthy family. An excellent blend of intrigue and betrayal, set against the backdrop of wealth, this film is loaded with twists and turns and surprises at every corner.
Direction
Saitō builds dread through stillness, not shock.
Writing
Every suspect gets a motive that actually checks out.
Production
Crumbling mansion as character, not backdrop.
Director
Kōsei Saitō
Toshiyuki Nishida
Kosuke Kindaichi
Haruko Wanibuchi
Akiko Tsubaki
Jun Miyauchi
Totaro Mishima
Tomoko Saitō
Mineko Tsubaki
Terumi Niki
Tane Mishima
Eiko Muramatsu
Hanako Shingu
Shino Ikenami
Kikue
Sanae Kitabayashi
Taeko
Noboru Nakaya
Hidesuke Tsubaki
Jun Fujimaki
Detective Yamashita
Rinichi Yamamoto
Jusuke Mega
Akira Ishihama
Toshihiko Shingu
Utako Kyō
Otama
Chieko Murata
Ume
Hirohisa Nakata
Manager of the Tengin-do
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was the second of five Kindaichi films starring Nishida; his rumpled everyman performance defined the character for a generation.
The 'kazoku' aristocracy's postwar erasure haunts the film—old wealth literally decaying in real-time, with occupation forces as silent witnesses to the rot.
JP
