7.0
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
Drama, Thriller, Crime, Horror • 2011 • 146 min
Cold Fish (2011)
Cold Fish (2011)
Overview
Directed by Sion Sono, *Cold Fish* is a 2011 Japanese psychological thriller that delves into the unsettling dynamics of a small town and a fish shop owner's spiraling horror after entangling with a mysterious rival. The film uses its grim narrative to critique traditional family structures and domestic power imbalances, presenting a darkly progressive skew. However, the absence of overt political or religious messaging, along with a lack of LGBTQ+ representation, results in a 'Neutral' cultural label. The focus remains on personal, not ideological, decay.
Starring Cast
Mitsuru Fukikoshi • Denden • Asuka Kurosawa
Where to watch
Rating & Dimensions
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Center
Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
Family Values: Strongly Progressive
Viewer Rating
7.0
Overview
Directed by Sion Sono, *Cold Fish* is a 2011 Japanese psychological thriller that delves into the unsettling dynamics of a small town and a fish shop owner's spiraling horror after entangling with a mysterious rival. The film uses its grim narrative to critique traditional family structures and domestic power imbalances, presenting a darkly progressive skew. However, the absence of overt political or religious messaging, along with a lack of LGBTQ+ representation, results in a 'Neutral' cultural label. The focus remains on personal, not ideological, decay.
Starring Cast
Mitsuru Fukikoshi • Denden • Asuka Kurosawa
Where to watch
Detailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Center
Primary
Political: Center
Confidence: High
Cold Fish is a dark psychological thriller that explores the corrupting nature of absolute control, repressed anger, and the disintegration of the traditional family unit under extreme abuse. The film focuses on universal themes of human depravity and victimization rather than advancing a specific political or ideological agenda.
Diversity: Moderate
Confidence: Medium
Cold Fish features an authentic Japanese cast tailored to its local setting without external casting alterations, while its dark psychological narrative focuses on interpersonal abuse and control rather than contemporary identity politics.
Secondary
Family Values: Strongly Progressive
Confidence: High
Sion Sono's 'Cold Fish' presents a nightmarish subversion of the traditional nuclear family, depicting a domineering, abusive father and a compliant stepmother whose domestic structure is utterly corrupted and destroyed by a psychotic murderer. The narrative serves as a grotesque critique of patriarchal authority and repressed family dysfunction rather than an endorsement of traditional values.
LGBTQ: N/A
Confidence: High
Cold Fish is a dark Japanese psychological thriller directed by Sion Sono that focuses on a meek tropical fish store owner drawn into a spiral of gruesome murders by a charismatic and sadistic rival merchant. The narrative centers on themes of domestic abuse, existential despair, and serial killing within a dysfunctional family dynamic. The film does not feature any identifiable LGBTQ+ characters, themes, or subplots throughout its runtime.
Trans: N/A
Confidence: High
Cold Fish is a dark psychological thriller directed by Sion Sono that explores themes of domestic oppression, psychological breakdown, and serial murder within the setting of a suburban fish business. The film contains no transgender characters, themes, or related storylines throughout its runtime, making any evaluation of transsexual portrayal inapplicable.
Female Combat: N/R
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
Gender Swap: No
Confidence: High
Cold Fish is an original psychological thriller directed by Sion Sono and is not an adaptation of pre-existing source material with established legacy characters. The characters portrayed in the film are original creations for this specific narrative, meaning no canonical or historical figures underwent a gender change.
Race Swap: No
Confidence: High
Cold Fish is an original Japanese psychological thriller directed by Sion Sono featuring a Japanese cast portraying characters written specifically for this original screenplay, resulting in no race swaps.
Hinduism: N/A
Confidence: High
Not depicted in the film.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
User Ratings
7.1
6.9
Critic Ratings
7.5
6.6
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