Kokuho

Name: Kokuho
Genre: Drama
Released: February 6, 2026
Duration: 174 min
Rating: 80

2026

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Generally favorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews

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Movie Details & Credits

GKIDS | Release Date: February 6, 2026 | Not Rated

Summary: Nagasaki, 1964. After the death of his father, the leader of a yakuza gang, 14-year-old Kikuo is taken under the wing of a famous Kabuki actor. Alongside Shunsuke, the actor’s only son, Kikuo decides to dedicate himself to this traditional form of theatre. Across decades, the two young men grow and evolve together – from acting school toNagasaki, 1964. After the death of his father, the leader of a yakuza gang, 14-year-old Kikuo is taken under the wing of a famous Kabuki actor. Alongside Shunsuke, the actor’s only son, Kikuo decides to dedicate himself to this traditional form of theatre. Across decades, the two young men grow and evolve together – from acting school to the grandest stages – amid scandals and glory, brotherhood and betrayals, as each pushes to become the greatest living Kabuki master.… Expand

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 174 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Liam Lacey

Feb 19, 2026

The gender questions are open-ended and the sacrifices of the artist’s life familiar ground, but Kokuho truly comes alive in the performance sequences that evoke the deep roots of theatre, and the semaphore of emotions represented in gestures, poses, strange movements and painted faces that evoke feelings beyond words. Read full review

Sheri Linden

Nov 4, 2025

Director Sang-il Lee’s feature is propelled by operatic intensity and visual poetry. It unfolds over three mostly riveting hours, with only occasional jagged lapses in narrative momentum. Read full review

Aparita Bhandari

Mar 3, 2026

The pace moves from the hustle-bustle of daily business carried out over five decades to moments of stillness from the artform – the flick of a fan and a hand moving in gentle waves, for example. The actors bring the drama to life, without being overly dramatic. Read full review

David Hughes

Apr 7, 2026

While it would be interesting to see a film about a woman trying to break kabuki’s glass ceiling, part of Kokuho’s charm is that it celebrates the art form as it is, not as it might be. It’s a wonderful demystification of a mysterious art form. Read full review

IndieWire Ryan Lattanzio

Nov 13, 2025

The central narrative, of the emotional dance between these two men over decades, holds even as the running time, while never boring you, often feels exaggerated for the sake of epicness rather than wholly necessary to this telling. Read full review

Next Best Picture Daniel Howat

Oct 30, 2025

Separating Kokuho from most stories of artists striving for greatness is Sang-il’s commitment to capturing kabuki’s physicality. The filmmaker reminds us that greatness often comes from intense dedication as much as from the people around you. It is the art form itself, not just Kikuo’s internal desire, that makes his story worthwhile. Read full review

Tim Grierson

Feb 23, 2026

Kokuho is a hearty melodrama with a little bit of everything — sex scandals, betrayals, unlikely comebacks, health scares — but the film’s gaudy plot twists (which shouldn’t be spoiled) belie the filmmaker’s unsentimental attitude regarding stardom’s perils. Read full review

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