Shinjuku Swan

Shinjuku Swan

Directed by Sion Sono

Produced by Kodansha, Japan Music Entertainment

2015139 min5.5 / 10

A gritty crime drama set in Tokyo's underworld where a talent scout navigates exploitation, yakuza power struggles, and moral compromise in the sex industry.

Shiratori Tatsuhiko works as a scout for talent agency Burst in Kabukichō, Shinjuku's red light district, recruiting young girls for the adult entertainment industry. In a business where money means everything, Tatsuhiko finds himself in a constant struggle between rival scouts and the Yakuza.

Questions people ask

  • Is Shinjuku Swan scary? Yes. More frightening than 82% of films.

  • Does Shinjuku Swan end with hope? Barely. Less hopeful than 78% of films.

  • Is Shinjuku Swan easy watching? Not especially. Less comforting than 74% of films.

  • Is Shinjuku Swan violent? Somewhat. More violent than 71% of films.

  • Is Shinjuku Swan sad? Somewhat. More sad than 61% of films.

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.

7/ 100

Cinnamon Score

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

Conventional, and it does not land.

Rarity3

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise12

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love8

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like Shinjuku Swan

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as Shinjuku Swan

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like Shinjuku Swan, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like Shinjuku Swan, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like Shinjuku Swan, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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