The Bad Sleep Well (1960)

In the heart of post-war Japan, amidst the glimmering façade of prosperity, a marriage takes place under a storm cloud of scandal. The wealthy businessman Mr. Iwabuchi is about to witness his daughter tie the knot with a seemingly ordinary car salesman, Mr. Nishi. This high-profile wedding, however, is far from a celebration of love, as it becomes a grotesque spectacle for the press, hungry for the scent of corporate malfeasance lurking beneath the opulence. Mr. Iwabuchi and his company's senior officials find themselves ensnared in a web of suspicion. The wedding bells echo an ignominious past, stirring memories of an employee who chose death over disgrace, plunging from the seventh floor of their office building. As this haunting event resurfaces, a chilling pattern emerges. More senior officials are now succumbing to the tragic lure of suicide, hinting at a sinister connection to the past. At the epicenter of this turmoil, Mr. Nishi, the new son-in-law, stands not as a car salesman, but as a steadfast avenger. Driven by a personal vendetta, he strategically positions himself within the rotten core of this corrupt company. His mission is as clear as it is dangerous: expose the puppet masters who orchestrated his father's demise. In this riveting, Hamlet-esque tale, director Kurosawa cleverly unravels a narrative of corporate scandal and relentless pursuit of justice. "The Bad Sleep Well" offers viewers an intriguing journey into the shadowy corridors of power, where wealth and deceit intertwine, and the echoes of retribution never sleep.

The Bad Sleep Well is a crime movie featuring Toshirō Mifune.

The Bad Sleep Well is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.