Kokuhô (2025) AKA Kokuho

In post-war Japan, 15-year-old Kikuo Tachibana is taken in by celebrated Kabuki actor Hanjiro Hanai after the death of his yakuza father. Alongside Hanjiro's only son, Shunsuke, Kikuo devotes himself to the demanding world of Kabuki, and the two boys grow from promising young performers into rivals whose friendship, ambition, and sacrifices unfold across decades. Spanning half a century, the film explores artistic obsession, rivalry, legacy, and the price of pursuing greatness within one of Japan's most revered traditional art forms. Nominated for the 2026 Academy Award for Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling; winner of Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor at the 2026 Japanese Academy Awards.
Director: Sang-il Lee \| Cast: Ryô Yoshizawa, Ryûsei Yokohama, Mitsuki Takahata, Shinobu Terajima, Nana Mori, Ken Watanabe
🍿 Letterboxd 7.7 48K ⭐ IMDb 7.5 6.1K 🎬 TMDb 7.8 99 🍅 RT 95% 59 R. 🇨🇳 Douban 7.7 17.7K