Nobody Knows (Dare mo shiranai) (2004)
94%RT Audience Score: 93%
Awards & Nominations: 13 wins & 10 nominations
Tragic and haunting, a beautifully heart-wrenching portrait of child abandonment.
Nobody Knows is a heart-wrenching film that will make you want to hug your loved ones a little tighter. It’s a reminder that not all parents are created equal, and that children are often the ones who suffer the most. But don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom – there are moments of sweetness and joy that will make you smile through your tears. And if you’re a fan of slow-burn dramas that take their time to build to a powerful conclusion, then this is the movie for you. Just make sure you have some tissues handy.
Production Company(ies)
Bandai Visual Company, Cine Qua Non Films, Engine Film
Distributor
IFC Films
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Haneda International Airport, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements and some sexual references
Year of Release
2004
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby SR
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Aspect ratio:1.66 : 1
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Runtime:2h 21m
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Language(s):Japanese
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 4, 2005 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 13, 2005
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Nobody Knows, PG-13, Drama, Japanese, Hirokazu Koreeda, directed by Hirokazu Koreeda, written by Hirokazu Koreeda, produced by Hirokazu Koreeda, Yûya Yagira, Ayu Kitaura, Hiei Kimura, Momoko Shimizu, Hanae Kan, You, reviewed by David Parkinson, Roger Moore, Marjorie Baumgarten, Terry Lawson, Chris Vognar, Moira MacDonald, David Lamble, Tom Dawson, Catherine Graham, PG-13 rating, child abandonment, Tokyo, apartment building, preteen, siblings, survival, poverty, tragedy, heart-wrenching, innocence, insight, emotional sucker-punch, non-professional cast, Ozu-esque beauty, slow-paced, naturalistic, heartwarming, family, friendship, responsibility, box office gross $683.6K, IFC Films, Dolby SR
Worldwide gross: $2,288,093
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $3,609,436
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,270
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 393,613
US/Canada gross: $684,118
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,079,187
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,169
US/Canada opening weekend: $32,393
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $51,100
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,201
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Ayu Kitaura – Kyoko
Hiei Kimura – Shigeru
Momoko Shimizu – Yuki
Hanae Kan – Saki
You – Keiko, the mother
Hirokazu Koreeda – Director, Producer, Writer
Director(s)
Hirokazu Koreeda
Writer(s)
Hirokazu Koreeda
Producer(s)
Hirokazu Koreeda
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
13 wins & 10 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (94) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (87) | Rotten (7)
Rarely has a kid’s-eye view of the adult world been captured with such innocence and insight.
April 1, 2006 | Rating: 4/5
David Parkinson
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Nobody Knows will chill you, further proof that the ability to procreate does not automatically qualify you to be a parent.
June 17, 2005 | Rating: 4/5
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
The rare film that successfully tells its tale of childhood from the children’s point of view.
April 23, 2005 | Rating: 4/5
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
At its heart, Nobody Knows is a sweet salute to the tenacity and courage of children who are blithely mistreated by adults who should know better and probably do.
March 18, 2005 | Rating: 3/4
Terry Lawson
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
This gem from Hirokazu Kore-eda unfolds with the graceful simplicity of a real-life episode turned into a minimalist fable.
March 17, 2005 | Rating: A
Chris Vognar
Dallas Morning News
TOP CRITIC
Profoundly sad, but it’s made with such artistry that it’s almost uplifting; you watch it mesmerized, immersed in the strange community the children create.
March 11, 2005 | Rating: 4/4
Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
Nobody Knows substitutes an emotional sucker-punch of too much knowledge and no easy fixes.
May 7, 2020
David Lamble
Bay Area Reporter
Although it’s perhaps overlong, Nobody Knows is shot with Ozu-esque beauty over four seasons and exceptionally acted by its non-professional cast.
April 23, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Tom Dawson
The List
Yuya Yogira is remarkable, a screen debut as exciting as Jean Pierre Leaud’s in The 400 Blows.
March 22, 2019 | Rating: B
Catherine Graham
Santa Cruz Sentinel
August 7, 2008 | Rating: 2/5
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review
Those who can tolerate slower rhythms will appreciate Kore-eda’s patient approach. And all will admire his handling of the children.
March 1, 2007
Bruce Feld
Film Journal International
It’s rather slow and a bit overlong (139 minutes), it may not be for everyone, but for viewers with the patience, the rewards are many.
October 25, 2006 | Rating: 4/5
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)…
Plot
Four siblings are left to fend for themselves in a Tokyo apartment after their mother abandons them in Nobody Knows.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Yûya Yagira’s performance in Nobody Knows is described as “remarkable” and compared to Jean Pierre Leaud’s in The 400 Blows.
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