High and Low (1963)

The Crit Club has decided to take an extended summer vacation to Japan. This week we’re watching 1963’s High and Low from director Akira Kurosawa. It’s a procedural thriller slash morality play about class tensions, kidnapping, and detective work. When a rich man’s chauffeur’s son gets abducted, the kidnapper insists he still must pay the ransom, setting in motion a whirlwind of events to bring the criminal to justice. What did the club think of this Kurosawa classic? Listen in and find out! Next week our Japanese holiday continues with a Peter Pick. He has chosen the acclaimed 1953 movie Tokyo Story from director Yasujirō Ozu. Will this be the end of our Japanese sojourn? Probably not! Watch along with us and join us next week! You can follow the whole of our podcast, aided by ⁠this helpful spreadsheet⁠ which documents all the scores we gave to the movies we have watched. And drop us a line! You can email us at [email protected] or find us on Instagram, Threads, or Bluesky with the handle @critclubpodcast. Crit Club's theme song and art were made by co-host ⁠⁠Peter Allen Clark⁠⁠.