Blues Harp

Blues Harp

Directed by Takashi Miike

Produced by MAC, GAGA Communications

1998107 min6.6 / 10

A tense, melancholic crime drama centered on an intimate bond between two men caught between loyalty, ambition, and jealousy within the yakuza underworld.

Ambitious Yakuza Kenji befriends harmonica-playing bartender Chuji, who moonlights as a part-time drug-dealer for the opposing gang. Their friendship is threatened by Kenji's plans for advancement, as well as by his bodyguards' growing jealousy of Chuji.

Questions people ask

  • Is Blues Harp sad? Yes. More sad than 88% of films.

  • Is Blues Harp scary? Yes. More frightening than 82% of films.

  • Does Blues Harp end with hope? Not especially. Less hopeful than 70% of films.

  • Is Blues Harp violent? Somewhat. More violent than 68% of films.

  • Is Blues Harp easy watching? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

Written about

51/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Familiar shape, done well.

Rarity49

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise54

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love50

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like Blues Harp

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as Blues Harp

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like Blues Harp, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like Blues Harp, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like Blues Harp, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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