Shangri-La follows the lives of a group of homeless people in Japan who run into a man who nearly commits suicide and decide to help him out of his financial troubles. Using their various ingenious resources they embark on a complex scheme to blackmail a crooked businessman, whose bankruptcy claim has put people out of work. It’s a fun romp as these seemingly homeless people manage to outsmart the very people who cast them from society.
Direction
Miike's rare gentle touch—same wild energy, warmer heart
Acting
The ensemble chemistry feels genuinely lived-in
Writing
Scam mechanics that actually make you cackle
Director
Takashi Miike
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The film critiques Japan's 1990s economic collapse and its invisible homeless population, a rarely depicted subculture in Japanese cinema.
Miike reportedly took this as a palate cleanser after Audition's extreme horror—proving he could do heartwarming without losing his edge.
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