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Nobody Knows

Nobody Knows

2004
Drama
2h 21m
Four siblings live happily with their mother in a small apartment in Tokyo. The children all have different fathers and have never been to school. The very existence of three of them has been hidden from the landlord. One day, the mother leaves behind a little money and a note, charging her oldest boy to look after the others. And so begins the children's odyssey... (imdb)
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Nobody Knows

2004
Drama
2h 21m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 70.1% from 1023 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(1023)
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Rated 13 Jun 2009
7
80th
The quiet and gentle sensibilities make this a mostly virtuous film (It would have been so easy to go the manipulative route) but at the same time it detracts from what could have been a much more powerful and emotional experience.
Rated 18 Jan 2013
90
90th
Avoids sentiment, garish manipulation and fierce depression instead being highly subtle, a gentle, tender film that fully evokes the feeling of youth and that spends much of its time not wallowing in the filth of the situation but instead looking at a friendship that forms between our main character and the schoolgirl Saki, or that is perfectly happy to give our characters moments of joy. This strange combination of that which warms and breaks the heart is effortlessly effective.
Rated 27 Mar 2013
80
90th
The true story is actually much more horrible, and I'm not sure I prefer this toned down version or not. I did appreciate that it didn't become melodrama. In any case, this is a really great film. It's terribly tragic, and yet it's also presented in a very beautiful way. It quite perfectly captured childhood innocence and its destruction. I highly recommend it.
Rated 07 Feb 2007
77
60th
There's plenty of heartbreaking stories about kids surviving in an adult world. What's interesting about this one is that not only is it inspired by a true story, but the true story is even darker. There's a running sub-theme about our willingless to ignore the miseries of those around us. The cast is pretty good for children, although they didn't have to do much. Where the film goes horribly wrong is the use of a poignant, manipulative pop song at a point where it's clearly not needed.
Rated 30 Aug 2014
79
66th
Where are the social service ladies who take children from their families in every movie with shitty parents? Disappointed in you, Japan.
Rated 03 Dec 2017
65
71st
Drawn from a distressing case of childhood neglect, many viewers no doubt react to the carelessness of the mother, even though the ironic title indicates that the real target is social if not systemic. The filmmaker works very hard to create a convincing portrait of children struggling to subsist in an untenable environment, avoiding any hint of melodrama, with many quasi-Bressonian shots of feet and hands, and quasi-Ozuian narrative ellipses. Despite everything, did not quite achieve greatness.
Rated 21 Dec 2017
97
92nd
The downbeat premise and slower pace may not be for everyone, but if you have the patience, you will find Nobody Knows to be a poetic, lyrical and rather beautiful film that does not spoon-feed the audience, but rather, lets them find their own opinions, and their own humanity in response to the lack of humanity on screen. It really is something special.
Rated 09 Oct 2021
35
23rd
çocuklar varoluşsal sancı çekmiyorlar bunu kas kafanıza sokun. öyle vaka varsa milyonda bir olup tv'de haber oluyor filozof çocuk atakan diye. bir de bu bahsedilen 12 yaşındaki "çocuk" aylarca üç kardeşine bakarak evi geçindiriyor çakma sezercik. Neredeyse 1 yıl sürüyor bu durum abi madem çok zekisin velet nasıl yardım almıyorsun. ayrıca sonundaki kardeşin ölüm sahnesindeki çocukların tavırlarına ve bunu görüp koyu yeşil yakanlar için kahkaha attım.
Rated 05 Apr 2011
70
72nd
Horrible story, and the worst part is that the reality was much worse than this. The mother, doing "nothing", faces the worst villains in movie history in my opinion (most of those killers, psychopaths,... are just amateurs against the coldness of this woman). I think the movie is well done, but I miss some cuts, though there's nothing that obviously should be out. Even with that, the movie doesn't look that long, but it's true it doesn't need that much time anyway.
Rated 24 Apr 2010
97
92nd
Absolutely one of the most engrossing film experiences I've ever had, from start to finish. Eschewing melodrama, Kore-eda tells the heart-wrenching story of four poor kids, abandoned by their irresponsible single mother, with a somber, Ozu-like grace. The photography is beautiful, and the subtle yet powerful acting of the kids really belies their ages. "Nobody Knows" stretches out languidly over more than two hours, but everything about this film is right on. Highly, highly recommended.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
80
84th
An emotional hammerblow. Stunning performances from the kids.
Rated 12 Oct 2015
93
78th
film güzel bir hikaye ile başlıyor sonra belli etmeden insanı gerim gerim geriyor. ayrıca çocukların performansları da çok iyi. 2,30 saate değer bir film
Rated 09 Mar 2014
94
91st
This film was absolutely astonishing and heartbreaking. Having seen Still Walking and now this film, I can sincerely say that Koreeda has the same unique capability that Ozu did with conveying such raw and beautiful humanity to an audience. While I think that Still Walking is a stronger film in terms of drama, this film has a somewhat unrefined quality that makes it both more endearing and a bit messier as a result. The children all do superb jobs at acting. The pace is a little glacial, though.
Rated 19 Nov 2009
95
66th
Beautifully shot, quiet moments of hope interwoven with the tragically bleak.
Rated 06 Jun 2009
85
69th
Good movie, bad ending. But not every ending is the way you want it to be, and thats what makes this a good movie.
Rated 11 Jan 2010
5
80th
Credible and effective. I think underplaying what actually happened worked as a benefit.
Rated 07 Mar 2008
85
74th
if i remember correctly.
Rated 24 May 2010
65
19th
too much focused on creating depression in viewer. maybe the movie is technically very good, but i am not in mood to watch this kind of stories. there are many bad destinies of kids - i do not have to go to japan to see it.
Rated 23 Jul 2016
70
35th
Needs the patience that goes along with the slow pace of Asian cinema, but a really haunting portrayal of child abandonment. What is powerful is the dense urban setting contrasted against the isolation and powerlessness of the children. It gives the impression of a forcefully conservative society. The child actors were all unprofessional and the director had a very hands off approach, which leads to a naturalness that adds to the haunted feeling of this being a real phenomenon.
Rated 03 Aug 2010
87
90th
Slow-paced but dramatic movie. The acting is really good. You just feel so sorry for those sweet children
Rated 18 Oct 2010
30
78th
"A meditation on solace and the promise and beauty familial togetherness." - Ed Gonzalez
Rated 29 Jan 2008
90
90th
??????
Rated 04 Apr 2011
80
80th
Beautiful and has perfect pacing.
Rated 16 Dec 2008
80
86th
The children perform solidly in this memorable, life-like drama from Koreeda.
Rated 20 Jul 2009
93
83rd
The child actors are phenomenal.
Rated 17 Apr 2009
100
97th
Truly beautiful film. Anyone who thinks otherwise does not understand the power of some of the smallest tidbits of a scene, the power in many silent seconds.
Rated 01 Jun 2008
85
97th
A touching story of a family that's being looked after by the eldest of four children. I can't believe the actual story this is based on is more appalling than the film, usually films tend to overdramatize real events.
Rated 10 Nov 2015
5
4th
Touching story but too drawn out and dragging to keep me interested. Couldn't finish it.
Rated 17 Nov 2007
0
8th
Koreeda takes a classic neorealist story and manages to make it hideously boring. I really hate movies that ask for my sympathy, and then (at the end) insult my intelligence
Rated 26 Mar 2011
90
95th
Incredibly beautiful and heartbreaking. Kore-eda just has a real warmth and humanism to his films, at least the two I have seen. He is also a very gifted stylist and this film is just excellent.
Rated 03 Dec 2015
55
32nd
I like the zen attitude and the humanist compassion of Koreeda to capture blissful and transcendental moments which are so subtle and minor but open us new worlds when focused on, however in that piece, all he says is that in the midst of the modern civilization there's a shameful misery for all of us by constructing a more pitying "Bicycle Thieves" where the bicycle is replaced by a mother. Where the movie headed disappointed me by giving a simple moral tale, but Akira acts great btw.
Rated 27 Sep 2008
85
30th
the movie moves very slowly, but ever step it takes is very impacting. really displays how poverty can go unnoticed in society today.
Rated 23 Aug 2014
65
31st
The acting was great, the mood and risk conveyed so well but it turned out pretty dull and overlong. I felt for the characters and wanted to know what would happen but towards the end I found myself not caring as much, should have been 30 minutes shorter.
Rated 23 Apr 2018
82
80th
I like seeing Koreeda's maturation over the years. This is still something special tho. Which is hard to achieve seeing as how this movie has been made like 300 times.
Rated 30 Apr 2019
100
60th
Haftalarca etkisini hissettiğim ve zaman zaman da varoluş sancısı gibi sızlatan etkisi devam eden gerçekçi bir filmdi. sanki herşey gözlerimin önünde yaşanıyor ama çaresizce izlemekle yetiniyordum. Belki bu filmi hiç seyretmeseydim daha mutlu olabilirdim!
Rated 21 May 2020
57
15th
Glacially paced rendition of what should have been a slam-dunk; in fairness, Koreeda is to be commended for not employing sentimental theatrics, but his low-key style is not a good fit for this material - this should be angrier, or sadder, or more wrenching, but by employing his stylised underplaying, the drama (and ultimate credibility) of the scenario is lost, turning the film into a mild ordeal. Yagira's mature, grounded performance is admirable in isolation and is the film's best attribute.
Rated 14 May 2021
100
90th
Brutal. Heartbreaking. Unforgettable.
Rated 06 Aug 2021
87
85th
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Rated 14 Feb 2022
88
96th
A terrific (and for parents: terrifying) portrait of four young children trying to live life after being abandoned by their mother, anchored by phenomenally naturalistic performances. This film certainly doesn't pull any punches, but it also contains a lot of beautiful and hopeful moments.
Rated 11 Mar 2022
80
84th
Well acted portrait of a couple of kids abandoned by their mother trying to get by in life. Heartwarming, alarming, charming, disarming.
Rated 25 Feb 2023
75
89th
Quite disturbing.
Rated 06 Aug 2023
75
70th
Its based loosely to the true story. Very well filmed by Yutaka Yamazaki and definitely worth to watch. The main actors are children and they are performing well.

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