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Drama thriller

Cold Fish (2011): Ratings & Plot

Cold Fish (2011) movie poster

Cold Fish is a 2011 drama thriller directed by Shion Sono. It runs 2 hours 24 minutes. Critics gave it 75% on Rotten Tomatoes and 66 on Metacritic.

Rotten Tomatoes
75%
Metascore
66
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Cold Fish (2011) movie poster
Released
Runtime
2h 24m (144 min)
Director
Shion Sono
Genres
Drama , Thriller
Original language
Japanese
Studio
Bloody Disgusting
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Cold Fish About?

The premise of Cold Fish without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A mild-mannered man's life takes a dark turn when his teenage daughter is caught shoplifting. A seemingly helpful couple offers a solution, having her work at their fish store, but this offer hides a sinister secret. As Shamoto investigates, he's drawn into a terrifying and brutal world, uncovering a disturbing truth about the couple and facing a descent into madness. Inspired by true events, the film explores the terrifying consequences of hidden darkness and the fragility of ordinary life.

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Crew

The Director of Cold Fish

Directed by Shion Sono.

From the director

More from Shion Sono

More films directed by Shion Sono, best-rated first: Love Exposure, Why Don't You Play in Hell?, Himizu and Antiporno.

Full filmography
Ratings

Cold Fish Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Cold Fish 75% on Rotten Tomatoes and 66 on Metacritic.

Plot

Cold Fish Plot Summary

What happens in Cold Fish from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 10 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Nobuyuki Shamoto is a quiet and unassuming man who runs a small tropical fish shop in the city of Shizuoka, Japan. Despite his calm exterior, his personal life is marked by unhappiness and familial struggles. His home environment is tense and strained, especially due to his teenage daughter, Mitsuko, who is notably rude and violent, often lashing out at her stepmother, Taeko, and displaying troubling behavior. The tension within the family reaches a boiling point when Mitsuko is caught stealing from a local supermarket, an incident that sets off a chain of events that will dramatically change their lives.

Full summary

The whole story of Cold Fish, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

Cold Fish Trailers & Videos

The trailer of Cold Fish.

Official US Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Cold Fish?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What type of shop does Nobuyuki Shamoto run?
Cars

Cars in Cold Fish

16 cars on screen, including the AM General HMMWV M1025 and the 2007 Cadillac Escalade ESV.

All 16 cars
  • AM General HMMWV M1025 in Cold Fish AM General HMMWV M1025 Minor role
  • 2007 Cadillac Escalade ESV in Cold Fish 2007 Cadillac Escalade ESV Minor role
  • GM B-Series in Cold Fish GM B-Series Minor role
  • unknown in Cold Fish unknown Minor role
Details

Cold Fish Also Known As

16 alternative titles, including “Tsumetai nettaigyo” and “冷血金鱼佬”.

Also known as
  • Tsumetai nettaigyo
  • 冷血金鱼佬
  • Холодная рыба
  • อำมหิตสุดขั้ว
  • 冰冷热带鱼
  • Studená ryba
  • קר כדג
  • Peixe Frito
  • Hideghal
  • Tsumetai Nettaigyo - Cold Fish
  • Soğuk Balık
  • 차가운 열대어
+4 more
  • 死魚
  • 冰冷熱帶魚
  • Sát Nhân Máu Lạnh
  • Zimna ryba

Seen Cold Fish?
FAQ

Cold Fish FAQ: Runtime, Release Date & Director

Runtime, release date, director, ratings, post-credit scenes and language of Cold Fish, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Cold Fish?

Cold Fish runs 2 hours 24 minutes (144 minutes).

When was Cold Fish released?

Cold Fish was released on August 5, 2011.

Who directed Cold Fish?

Cold Fish was directed by Shion Sono.

More films by Shion Sono

How is Cold Fish rated?

Cold Fish has 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, 66 on Metacritic, 69% on TMDB and 3.7/5 on Letterboxd.

Does Cold Fish have a post-credit scene?

No. Cold Fish has no extra scene during or after the credits.

What language is Cold Fish in?

The original language of Cold Fish is Japanese.

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