Watch Cold Fish

Cold Fish is a 2010 Japanese serial killer film directed and written by Sion Sono, who is well known by fans for both his controversial film making and his avant-garde poetry performances. Sono gathered material for his inspiration of the film from two specific murder cases. The first being the murder spree of a family of dog kennel owners, and the second being the story of a husband and wife duo, Sekine Gen and Hiroko Kazama who owned a pet shop in Tokyo, and who became known for the murder of four people. Cold fish was the third film to be released by Nikkatsu as part of their gore themed series. Cold fish is about a man who owns a tropical fish shop. He is content where he is at in life, lacking ambition to expand his business or his relationship with his wife and daughter. This changes when a rival fish shop comes into town, which is owned by a husband and wife duo who turn out to be serial killers. The main character becomes involved in their secrets while trying to keep his shop afloat and reconnect with his family. Cold Fish was first shown 67th Venice International Film Festival on September 7, 2010, with the North American premiere at the Toronto Film festival. It later received a dvd release in Japan on January 29, 2011. The film remains a favorite among enthusiasts of Japanese film, who herald it as so much more than just a horror film. While blood and gore abound in Cold Fish, the sense of absolute hopelessness is unique to the film, as is the combination of horror and slap stick comedy. While fans continue to appreciate it, critics often cite it as one of Sono's less impressive works.