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Trailer

Harmful Insect

2002Movie1 h 32 min

68
GoodGoodWatch score

A deeply moving, profoundly sad drama movie about everyday modern life and growing up.

Good for thought-provoking · adults · solo watch

Skip it if you need an uplifting mood

Where to watch

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Not streaming in any country yet.

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Not for warmth, laughs or comfort.

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Story

13-year-old Sachiko is about to encounter the most difficult moments in her young life. Her father abandons her and her mother attempts to commit suicide by slashing her wrist. Her teacher, whom she relies on heavily, leaves for northern Japan to take another job. Other students start to gossip about Sachiko and her former teacher. Sachiko then drops out of school and attempts to find herself.

Feels like

  • Coming-of-Age Tragedy
  • Social Isolation
  • Childhood Trauma
  • Bleak Realism
  • Psychological Drama
  • Japanese Independent Film
  • Existential Themes
  • Character Study

Cast

Crew

Directed by
Akihiko Shiota
Written by
Kiyono Yayoi
Produced by
Hiroyuki Negishi

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

March 16, 2002 · 1 h 32 min · Suicide Themes

Released
March 16, 2002
Runtime
1 h 32 min
Content
Suicide Themes
Genres
Drama
Original language
Japanese
Also spoken
French
Made in
Japan

Q&A

4 questions, like "Is Harmful Insect worth watching?"

Questions about Harmful Insect

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Is Harmful Insect worth watching?

68
GoodGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 68 (IMDb 6.9).

Will I feel good after watching Harmful Insect?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 9 of 10 for bleakness and 9 for melancholy, against 2 for hopefulness.

Is Harmful Insect plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on pathos (9 of 10) and character depth (8 of 10) more than on its plot.

Is Harmful Insect in English?

JapaneseFrench

No, it was made in Japanese, with some French.