Brother | Blu-ray (BFI)
RELEASE DATE: April 21, 2025
On April 21, 2025, BFI is releasing a Blu-ray (Region B) for Brother, a 2000 crime film starring, written, directed, and edited by Takeshi Kitano (Outrage Coda, Mozu: The Movie).
Takeshi ‘Beat’ Kitano directs and stars in this brutal crime thriller about a Japanese yakuza forced to flee to Los Angeles after the death of his boss.
In the wake of a failed gang war, Yamamoto ‘Aniki’ (Kitano) arrives in Los Angeles with nothing but a new name and a bag of cash. Re-uniting with his younger brother, he uses his extensive experience as a hardened gangster, to grow a small-time drug operation into an far-reaching criminal brotherhood, attracting the attention of rival gangs with bloodthirsty consequences.
Brother also stars Omar Epps (Juice), Claude Maki (A Scene at the Sea), and Tetsuya Watari (Outlaw: Gangster VIP).
Features:
- Presented in High Definition
- The Green Flash (1988, 23 mins): Adam Davis’ short film about an encounter between a runaway and a gangster featuring a young Omar Epps in his first screen role
- Other extras tbc
- **FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Illustrated booklet featuring new writing on the film
This title will soon be available at The Goodie Emporium, a U.S.-based online store that currently has many Import Shaw Brothers/Golden Harvest/martial arts DVD/Blu-ray movies in-stock – with New titles being added regularly!
Watch the Trailer below:
Uncut version?
I remember when this movie first came out, and rabid “film fans” were screaming about how much they hated it because it’s so different from Kitano’s previous works. It’s good that it has its audience. I especially liked Masaya Kato’s performance as a disrespectful, entitled gangster but he was still charismatic.