Japanese Courtroom Thriller THE THIRD MURDER opens Friday

THE THIRD MURDER opens on Friday, August 17 at AFS Cinema. Tickets are on sale now.

THE THIRD MURDER, the newest movie from two-time Cannes Film Festival winner Hirokazu Koreeda (SHOPLIFTERS; LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON), follows the trial of confessed killer Misumi, a previously convicted murderer who has killed again and this time faces the death penalty. His attorney, Shigemori attempts to defend him from death but as he digs deeper finds that the crime isn’t as black and white as he once thought. A psychological deep dive into the mind of a killer, THE THIRD MURDER, is a gripping and eerie look at what it means to be guilty or innocent, and the lasting effects that can have on the people around you.

Here’s what the critics are saying:

“This mysteriously beautiful film, in Japanese with English subtitles, explores the elusiveness of motives, the nature of truth and nothing less than the justice system – the way it functions in response to an accused murderer who has already confessed and continues to insist he’s guilty.” Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal

“What emerges is an inquiry not into the divine, but instead into the mystery of human existence.” Bilge Ebiri, Village Voice

“With a quiet, adamantly moral sensibility and unassuming yet exacting technique, he tells seemingly small stories that grow deeper and more emotionally complex one nuance at a time.” Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

Watch the trailer for THE THIRD MURDER below:

• Contributed by Claire Hardwick