Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 2021
Signal the Movie
Buy Signal the Movie now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
{{Infobox film
| name = Signal the Movie
| native_name =
| director = Hajime Hashimoto
| screenplay =
| producer =
| based_on =
| starring = 'see below'
| cinematography = Hiroo Yanagida
| editing =Shinya Tadano
| music =
| production_companies =
| distributor = Toho Co., Ltd.
| released =
| runtime = 122 minutes
| country = Japan
| language = Japanese
}}
is a 2021 Japanese police procedural thriller drama film directed by Hajime Hashimoto, co-written by Ksuke Nishi and Hiroshi Hayashi, distributed by Toho, and stars Kentaro Sakaguchi, Michiko Kichise, and Kazuki Kitamura. The film was released in Japan on April 2, 2021.
The film is based on a television series with a same name, which itself is a remake of a South Korean television series with a same name, and continues where the television series left off with a brand new story.
Premise
"In 2021, a limousine taxi driver causes an accident on a highway and a high-level government official dies in the accident. Cold case investigation team, including Kento Saegusa and team leader Misaki Sakurai, have doubts about the case.
Meanwhile, in 2009, administrative officers die consecutively in car accidents. The police announce these deaths as accidents. Takeshi Ooyama believes that these deaths were not the product of simple accidents. At 11:23 PM, a walkie-talkie turns on and makes a connection between the future and past. Kento Saegusa and Takeshi Ooyama face the threat of bioterrorism."
Cast
*Kentaro Sakaguchi as Kento Saegusa
*Michiko Kichise as Misaki Sakurai
*Kazuki Kitamura as Takeshi Ooyama
*Yuichi Kimura as Tsutomu Yamada
*Tetsuhiro Ikeda as Shinya Kojima
*Kaede Aono as Rika Anzai
*Tetta Sugimoto as Munehisa Mitani
*Nao as Michiru Koizumi
*Tetsushi Tanaka as Satoshi Yamazaki
*Takeshi Taga as Shinjiro Itagaki
*Tsuyoshi Ihara as Junki Aoki
Production
In January 2020, it was announced that 'Signal' television series would receive a film adaptation, and Hajime Hashimoto would direct the film. The film featured a brand new story that was not present in the South Korean television series or any adaptations prior. Cast members from the television series reprised their respective roles for the film. The principal photography took place from January to February 2020.
Yuki Hayashi and Asami Tachibana returned to co-compose the music for the film. South Korean boy band BTS also returned to provide the theme song for the film, titled "Film Out".
Release
The film was released in Japan on April 2, 2021.
Reception
Critical reception
James Marsh from South China Morning Post gave a mixed review, stating "Existing fans of the television show will doubtless already have their tickets booked for this frantic and fitfully entertaining continuation, but curious parties approaching 'Signal the Movie' for the first time will be better served seeking out the small screen series first or even the superior Korean incarnation, both of which are streaming on Netflix."Mark Schilling from The Japan Times praised the action sequences, stating "This cop thriller based on a 2018 Fuji TV series may be gimmicky, but it delivers in the action department."
References
Buy Signal the Movie now from Amazon
<-- Return to movies from 2021