MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for Japanese Godfather: Ambition

Japanese Godfather: Ambition

1977 · 141 min

A slow, weighty crime saga of quiet negotiations and looming violence, watching power shift through deals rather than gunfire.

Directed by
Sadao Nakajima
Genres
Crime, Drama
Starring
Shin Saburi, Toshirō Mifune, Hiroki Matsukata
Overview
An ambitious Kansai yakuza don moves in on Tokyo using financial and political tactics, sparking conflict with a local criminal association.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
Directed by
Sadao Nakajima
Genres
Crime, Drama
Starring
Shin Saburi, Toshirō Mifune, Hiroki Matsukata
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • darkstrength 3 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • power
  • ambition
  • crime
  • betrayal
  • corruption
Places
  • big city
  • workplace
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • serialised
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence strong
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action4
Horror1
Humour1
Realism7
Romance1
Tension6
Darkness7
Complexity7
Emotional weight6

More like this

Titles like Japanese Godfather: Ambition

Movie

Japanese Godfather

1977

A slow, weighty crime saga that balances brutal street violence with quiet family strain, leaving a somber aftertaste.

Same writer: Kōji Takada · Dark, tense · about power and crime

Also
Same writer: Kōji Takada
Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • power
  • crime
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
132 min
Details
Japanese GodfatherHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Godfather Part II

1974

A cold, patient descent into power and loneliness, cutting between a rise and a fall until the quiet feels crushing.

Dark, tense, slow-burn · about power and betrayal

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • power
  • betrayal
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
202 min
Details
The Godfather Part IIHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Tokyo Vice

2022–2024

A slow, atmospheric plunge into neon-lit Tokyo, where quiet conversations carry menace and every small choice feels weighted.

Dark, tense, slow-burn · about power and crime

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • power
  • crime
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Seasons
2
Details
Tokyo ViceHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Aesthetics of a Bullet

1973

A gritty, fast-moving crime story that follows a desperate man's violent climb, mixing street-level realism with sudden bursts of action.

Same director: Sadao Nakajima · Dark, tense · about power and ambition

Also
Same director: Sadao Nakajima
Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • power
  • ambition
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
100 min
Details
Aesthetics of a BulletHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Blood for Blood

1971

A grim, tightly wound yakuza drama where loyalty curdles into violence and the city itself feels like a trap closing.

Dark, tense · about power and crime

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • power
  • crime
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
86 min
Details
Blood for BloodHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Made in Korea

2025

A tense, slow-burning political crime drama that immerses you in 1970s Korea, with sharp performances and a pervasive sense of moral compromise.

Dark, tense, slow-burn · about power and ambition

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • power
  • ambition
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Seasons
2
Details
Made in KoreaHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Violent Streets

1974

A grim, tightly wound yakuza thriller that pulls you into a world of shifting loyalties and sudden brutality.

Dark, tense · about power and crime

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • power
  • crime
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
96 min
Details
Violent StreetsHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Damned

2019–2023

A grim, talky plunge into criminal business dealings where every conversation carries threat and nobody can be trusted.

Dark, tense · about power and crime

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • power
  • crime
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Seasons
5
Details
DamnedHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Yakuza Ladies: Burning Desire

2005

A slow-burning, tense crime drama that immerses you in a gritty underworld of loyalty and suspicion.

Same writer: Kōji Takada · Dark, tense · about power and crime

Also
Same writer: Kōji Takada
Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • power
  • crime
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
118 min
Details
Yakuza Ladies: Burning DesireHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Natural Born Narco

2022

A gritty, slow-burning rise through the criminal underworld, steeped in tension and moral compromise.

Dark, tense, slow-burn · about power and ambition

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • power
  • ambition
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Seasons
1
Details
Natural Born NarcoHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Juzni Vetar

2020

A grim, slow-building crime saga that keeps you tense as loyalties fray and family ties become a liability.

Dark, tense · about power and crime

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • power
  • crime
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Seasons
3
Details
Juzni VetarHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Kaiji

2007–2011

A nail-biting psychological duel where every gamble is a high-stakes chess match of lies and desperation.

Dark, tense, slow-burn · about power

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • power
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Seasons
2
Details
KaijiHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
crime, drama
Directed by
Sadao Nakajima
Written by
Kōji Takada
Starring
Shin Saburi, Toshirō Mifune, Hiroki Matsukata, Bunta Sugawara, Kyôko Kishida, Etsushi Takahashi, Akiyuki Nosaka, Kyoko Nami
Music
Harumi Ibe, Toshirō Mayuzumi
Cinematography
Toshio Masuda
Runtime
141 min
Country
Japan
Languages
Japanese

TMDBIMDb

Something wrong on this page? Tell us.