CLOUD Trailer: Kiyoshi Kurosawa is Back with a Nail-Biting Tale of Greed & Revenge

They say the path to success means making a few enemies. Tokyo man Yoshii (Masaki Sude) learns that in one of the most chilling ways in writer-director Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s latest thriller, Cloud. Kurosawa, who thrilled cinephiles with nailbiters such as Cure (1997) and Pulse (2001), explores the world of black market reselling through the eyes of his sociopath-adjacent protagonist, which culminates in one of the most edge-of-your-seat shootouts in recent memory. The film, which was Japan’s Oscar submission last year, premiered at the Venice Film Festival and will soon be shown at New York’s Japan Cuts festival on July 16. Sideshow and Janus Films have now released the official U.S. trailer ahead of its release in theaters July 18.

I wrote in my review from TIFF, “[Kurosawa’s] latest project examines how the world around us drives even the ordinary person into greed and vengeance, with technology playing a huge factor. The script’s unpredictability makes for a riveting psychological satire with some good jump scares. While every character has an agenda of their own, Kurosawa prepares us for the worst through his own kind of slow-burn dread… Masaki Suda’s performance grabs you by the collar and keeps you invested in his character’s tension-filled journey in this cold, quiet world. This is Kiyoshi Kurosawa at the height of his game – making a one-of-a-kind thriller that’s filled with silence, smoldering suspense, and washed-out colors that create a bleak atmosphere. It cautiously reminds us that a world exists where people can easily turn into monsters for a few bucks.”

Here’s the official synopsis:

A stylish, subversive thriller from suspense-maverick Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Cure, Pulse), concerning Yoshii, an ambitious, yet directionless, young factory worker from Tokyo who side hustles in the murky realm of black market reselling, cheating buyers and sellers alike. After swindling his way into loads of cash, he becomes slowly disconnected to humanity, moving out of the city, shunning his girlfriend, and hiring a devoted assistant. But after a series of mysterious, sinister incidents occur, he begins to suspect his former victims could be plotting the ultimate revenge. A master of carefully simmering tension to a bloody crescendo, Kurosawa delivers a searing portrait of digital greed and vengeance.

Check out the U.S. trailer and poster below.

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