Fireworks (1997)
Kernel Score: 85% · 756 ratings · Rated R
Genres: Crime, Drama
Released: 1997-10-30
Runtime: 103 minutes
Where to watch Fireworks
- Rent: Google Play, YouTube
- Buy: Google Play, YouTube
US availability, updated 2026-10-23.
Overview
Beleaguered police detective Nishi takes desperate measures to try and set things right in a world gone wrong. With his wife suffering from leukemia and his business partner paralyzed from a brutal gangster attack, Nishi borrows from a yakuza loan shark and then robs a bank to clear his debt.
Fireworks parents' guide: ages 15+
Parents need to know that Fireworks is an R-rated Japanese crime drama involving yakuza violence, a bank robbery, and terminal illness.
- Violence & scariness: Strong — Involves a gangster attack, a bank robbery, and yakuza loan-shark violence, rated R.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official R rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Movies like Fireworks
If you liked Fireworks, these are the movies we'd watch next.
- Sonatine (1993) — 83%
- The Yakuza (1974) — 79%
- Beyond Outrage (2012) — 77%
- The Unforgivable (2021) — 84%
- All the Bright Places (2020) — 86%
- Drunken Angel (1948) — 86%
- Magnolia (1999) — 88%
- An Average Little Man (1977) — 87%
Director
Cast
- Takeshi Kitano as Yoshitaka Nishi
- Kayoko Kishimoto as Nishi's Wife
- Ren Osugi as Horibe
- Susumu Terajima as Nakamura
- Tetsu Watanabe as Junkyard Owner
- Hakuryu as Yakuza Hitman
- Yasuei Yakushiji as Criminal
- Tarô Itsumi as Kudo
- Kenichi Yajima as Doctor
- Makoto Ashikawa as Tanaka
Fireworks FAQ
Is Fireworks good?
Fireworks has an 85% Kernel Score on Fresh Kernels from 756 audience ratings.
Where can I watch Fireworks?
In the US you can rent it from Google Play and YouTube.
Is Fireworks OK for kids?
Fireworks is rated R. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 15+. Parents need to know that Fireworks is an R-rated Japanese crime drama involving yakuza violence, a bank robbery, and terminal illness.
What movies are like Fireworks?
If you liked Fireworks, try Sonatine, The Yakuza, Beyond Outrage and The Unforgivable.