Kotoko (2011)

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Avg Rating: 4.4 / 5. Voted: 59

No one cared thus far. Do you?

AKA:
Directed by: Shinya Tsukamoto
Starring: Cocco (Kotoko), Shinya Tsukamoto (Seitaro Tanaka)
Country: Japan, Asian Cinema
Language: Japanese (English Subs)
Runtime: 01:31:30
Genres: Mental Illness-Depressing, Violence against Men, Self-Harm, Family, Gruesome

Plot – Spoilers:
Kotoko has a problem. She sometimes sees in double – as in, two versions of people. One of them tends to be aggressive to her, which leaves her pathetically helpless and confused while going through her daily life. This isn’t her only worry though – she also has a baby boy and feels everyone is out to harm him. And even worse, she isn’t convinced she won’t harm him herself.

Kotoko deals with her fears by indulging in cutting or through random acts of violence on men who take an interest in her. After a while, it becomes hard to separate her reality from her delusions. What’s easy though, is to vicariously experience the misery of most of her waking hours.

Compared to Shinya Tsukamoto’s early films, this is so sensitive a work, you feel it must be coming from a place that’s very personal.

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jcd
jcd
September 4, 2023 3:28 pm

this was another movie that i wasn’t sure if everything happening was reality or her imagination. (the machinist is another one, one of my favorites) but, this was harder to watch because she was experiencing all that knowing she has mental issues. the movie is very well made and very sad to watch…

Slampig
Slampig
August 11, 2023 6:30 am

A little obnoxious

dsfjhkfhjsfdj
dsfjhkfhjsfdj
August 30, 2022 7:33 am

holy shit cocco is incredible in this

Dee
Dee
August 1, 2021 9:44 pm

Decent movie but too much singing made me tune out

ska
ska
June 12, 2021 5:34 am

amazing movie, anyone who didn’t like it just hasn’t experienced mental illness. good for you honestly ! googled the movie and apparently the story was written by kotoko’s actress (who’s actually a singer) so no wonder she could embody her character like she did. so fucking cool

MAHC
MAHC
May 15, 2021 9:47 pm

I’m not crying, YOU’RE CRYING

chi
chi
March 5, 2021 10:11 pm

Beautiful movie, probably my favourite now, thank you so much EUM

Matisse Famke
Matisse Famke
March 5, 2021 9:42 am

Suffering from any form of mental illness whilst raising a baby as a single mother is diabolically laborious, self-care evaporates and seclusion is tranquility.

Matisse Famke
Matisse Famke
March 5, 2021 9:21 am

Evocative. Lamentable. Beguiling. Efficacious performance.

Handsomeguymodleschool
Handsomeguymodleschool
November 28, 2020 12:25 am

LMAO @ 42:58. Thanks for the movie.

Mhdy
Mhdy
November 13, 2020 12:03 pm

A very sad story, the movie depicts the life of a woman suffering from a mental disorder trying to protect her son from dangerous imaginary situations. Although she sometimes seems aware of her insanity, she has accepted the fact that her son is going far from her to her sister’s custody. I personally think that her mental status wasn’t that bad if she was helped earlier.

Nancy
Nancy
October 30, 2020 7:10 pm

I enjoyed the movie, the music is quite good though, the songs are nice, even if in the context I can’t say they are uplifting. I think the whole ordeal is portrayed in a very interesting manner, I just wonder how can someone with such a severe problem not be detected and got some sort of help, on the early stages. I see people comment on the woman being skinny, well considering how her life is…it does not surprise me one bit, I don’t understand the “kill all men” comments, she was violent towards ONE, and well, she has serious issues.

I liked the end.

Jimothy
Jimothy
Reply to  Nancy
November 3, 2020 3:17 am

I had the exact thought about how she could live on without being noticed. Note that she “moves” a lot though!

As an aside, I believe the songs are meant to be dark comedy: notice the parallel between ending and beginning; the stranger ringing the bell in exactly the same manner as her temporary boyfriend. The (very masterful) camerawork also seems to emphasize that the person narrating the story is most likely not very reliable..

This movie isn’t good enough for a second watch (sorry!) however it is definitely a great horror movie, only because horror is a genre that is very, very misunderstood (“kill all men”).

Rumpel
Rumpel
Reply to  Nancy
May 18, 2022 4:11 am

mental health in Japan is garbage is thatsimple. just look the suicide rates. good with mats bad at emotions

Kotoko ig
Kotoko ig
October 26, 2020 12:31 am

I liked it. The ending was cute and sad as fuck but very nice.

no
no
October 19, 2020 4:44 pm

Kill all men. ♥

John Pacheco
John Pacheco
Reply to  no
October 20, 2020 12:55 am

Please don’t tell me LOVE is everything Mrs. no

Antinatalpist
Antinatalpist
Reply to  no
October 21, 2020 6:09 am

In the word of who you are… no

BJF
BJF
Reply to  no
October 21, 2020 12:05 pm

Kill all women

Mei R
Mei R
Reply to  no
October 25, 2020 10:08 pm

Kill all men ?

Doc
Doc
Reply to  no
May 17, 2021 6:32 am

hell yeah ♥

roachrot
roachrot
Reply to  no
May 23, 2021 12:49 am

kill all women.

Doc
Doc
Reply to  roachrot
May 23, 2021 3:13 am

You’ll grow up one day honey ♥

Someone
Someone
Reply to  Doc
May 23, 2021 4:29 am

So, in your opinion, it’s fine to want to kill all men, but someone who says “kill all women” needs to grow up? Seems like you have some growing up to do too.

Ron Jeremy
Ron Jeremy
Reply to  no
October 30, 2021 1:28 pm

Get aids cunt

BJF
BJF
October 19, 2020 1:55 pm

Kotoko is basically a manic pixie dream girl getting away with hurting everyone around her just because she’s attractive

Antinatalpist
Antinatalpist
Reply to  BJF
October 21, 2020 6:11 am

Is she really all that attractive? I mean I guess the skeleton you can see through her skin looks ok

BJF
BJF
Reply to  Antinatalpist
October 21, 2020 12:04 pm

She’s conventionally attractive, not to mention the woman playing her is a singer

Rumpel
Rumpel
Reply to  BJF
May 18, 2022 4:04 am

which convention???? Wish I was there to give my opinion

Rubber
Rubber
Reply to  BJF
October 25, 2020 11:28 pm

I definitely wouldn’t say manic pixie dream girl since the only manic pixie dream girl trait she has is the physical attractiveness

Antinatalpist
Antinatalpist
Reply to  Rubber
October 26, 2020 4:10 am

Her look screams “I’m ill” …Anorexia. Attractiveness just is not there. Btw.. my heart goes out to those with anorexia. At a healthy weight.. she’d come in at average.

Antinatalpist
Antinatalpist
Reply to  BJF
October 26, 2020 4:16 am

Go to 49:26.. look at that profile and tell me she is attractive.

buvvy
buvvy
Reply to  BJF
May 16, 2021 1:40 am

girlboss!!!