Great Absence

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1:05

Great Absence

2024

2h 32m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

89%

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18 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

A father and son who've been estranged for a long time finally reconcile among lost memories and dispersed pieces of lives.

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Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (LAist)

Aug 3, 2024

It's quite moving and really noteworthy for the performance of the veteran Japanese actor Tatsuya Fuji.

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Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

Jul 29, 2024

A beguiling and touching transference of understanding across time and memory.

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Brian Tallerico

RogerEbert.com

Jul 21, 2024

3/4

Cconveys the bursts of anger and lashing out that often adjoin dementia, and it makes for a showcase for one of Japan’s best actors.

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Jaylan Salah

Geek Vibes Nation

Aug 23, 2026

8/10

Great Absence is a family drama centered on what is not being said in a story, rather than the entire history of a particular character, or their dynamic with other characters.

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Filipe Freitas

Always Good Movies

Aug 16, 2025

3.5/5

With its sensitive and compassionate storytelling, Great Absence gradually breaks your heart.

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Paul Emmanuel Enicola

The Asian Cut

Jul 23, 2025

4/5

For all its disorientation, the film is piercingly lucid about what it means to lose someone before they leave this world.

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Moody C

@MoodyC Jul 25, 2024

It’s a long movie but doesn’t feel too long since story is somewhat captivating. I did enjoyed the local Japan locale - looks like a small town near the beach so quite beautiful and different from the usual busy Tokyo scene. The son goes around town talking to various townspeople to learn more about his dad’s past but may seem confusing at times because these scenes feel disjointed. I can’t really make out what happened to the dad at the very end since storytelling is very subtle and not at all obvious.

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Kei Chikaura

Director

Mirai Moriyama

Actor

Tatsuya Fuji

Actor

Yôko Maki

Actor

Hideko Hara

Actor

Kei Chikaura

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Great Absence: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

A father and son who've been estranged for a long time finally reconcile among lost memories and dispersed pieces of lives.

Director: Kei Chikaura
Producer: Kei Chikaura, Miho Horiike
Screenwriter: Kei Chikaura, Keita Kumano
Distributor: Gaga
Production Co: Creatps, Kodak Japan
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 19, 2024, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $9.8K
Runtime: 2h 32m

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