Fireworks (1997)

In the stormy sea of life, Nishi, a devoted police detective, finds himself helplessly adrift amidst a series of heartbreaking tribulations. Grappling with the loss of his preschool-age child two years prior, Nishi faces another bitter blow as his beloved wife is diagnosed with terminal leukemia. In this dispiriting backdrop, his colleague Horibe suffers a life-changing accident during a stakeout that Nishi was originally assigned to, intensifying his guilt and sadness. Horibe's new reality as a paraplegic and subsequent abandonment by his family exacerbates Nishi's remorse, pushing him towards an increasing recklessness that starts to pervade both his personal and professional life. As his wife's condition deteriorates, the hospital recommends her to be at home, placing further financial strain on Nishi. In a desperate attempt to make ends meet, he finds himself entangled in the perilous web of the yakuza. Meanwhile, Nishi's guilt manifests as an inexorable need to help Horibe, who struggles to find meaning in life after losing his identity as a policeman and his family's abandonment. In a world that seems to be collapsing around him, Nishi makes a drastic decision to leave his law enforcement career behind to savor every fleeting moment with his dying wife. However, in his quest to secure a peaceful, meaningful existence for those he cherishes, he inadvertently steps into a treacherous abyss of transgressions. As he attempts to fill his and his wife's diminishing days with small yet special moments, Nishi's actions trigger a cascade of tragic consequences. "Fireworks" is a poignant exploration of love, guilt, and despair, where one man's desperate struggle to do right leads him down a path of wrongs, illuminating the harsh reality that every action, however well-intended, carries a heavy price.

Fireworks is a crime movie featuring Takeshi Kitano.

Fireworks is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Cineverse, Kanopy and Plex Player and it's also available on Film Movement Plus and Hoopla.

It is also possible to buy Fireworks on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu and YouTube.