By Vlad Zakh · February 3, 2026
Drama thought provokingfeel good
Setsuko Hara became one of Japanese cinema’s best-loved actresses through her long work with director Yasujiro Ozu, bringing luminous warmth to stories of family and quiet sacrifice. Tokyo Story watches elderly parents quietly neglected by grown children, Early Summer pressures a young woman towards arranged marriage, Tokyo Twilight confronts two sisters with their abandoning mother, and Sound of the Mountain scrutinises a troubled marriage. Late Spring and No Regrets for Our Youth round out the list.
01 Setsuko Hara features in this drama about two sisters who confront the return of the mother who abandoned their family years earlier.
Directed by Yasujirō Ozu · 2h 21m · Rated NR
Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max
Rent: BFI Player
Stream: Criterion Channel
02 A woman's troubled marriage draws closer scrutiny from her sympathetic, ageing father-in-law.
Directed by Mikio Naruse · 1h 36m
Stream: Criterion Channel
Stream: Criterion Channel
03 An elderly couple visits their grown children in the city, only to find themselves quietly unwelcome.
Directed by Yasujirō Ozu · 2h 17m
3 wins
Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Stream: BFI Player, BFI Player Amazon Channel, BFI Player Apple TV Channel · Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Rent: JustWatch TV, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fetch TV · Buy: Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fetch TV
04 A young woman's family pressures her towards an arranged marriage as she quietly makes her own choice.
Directed by Yasujirō Ozu · 2h 05m · Rated NR
Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Apple TV Store
Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
05 A devoted daughter resists her father's gentle pressure to leave him and marry.
Directed by Yasujirō Ozu · 1h 48m
Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Fandor, Fandor Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Stream: BFI Player, BFI Player Amazon Channel, BFI Player Apple TV Channel · Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Stream: Fandor · Rent or buy: Apple TV Store
06 A sheltered professor's daughter is radicalised by political turmoil in pre-war Japan.
Directed by Akira Kurosawa · 1h 51m
Stream: Criterion Channel
Stream: Criterion Channel
Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.
