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Ryūhei Kitamura

Ryūhei Kitamura

Director, writer and producer · Born May 30, 1969 (57) · Osaka, Japan

Ryuhei Kitamura (born May 30, 1969) is a Japanese filmmaker. Description above from the Wikipedia article Ryuhei Kitamura, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 30, 1969 (57)
From
Osaka, Japan
Works as
Director, writer and producer
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 32 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 62% in 30 days

What are Ryūhei Kitamura's films like?

Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.

Genres

Action11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
36%
Morality
21%
Bonds
16%
Self
12%
Ideas
11%
Power
4%
Violence6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFate3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 2 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 7

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 4 · Intense 11

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 8

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 6 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 6

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 10 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
11
Dread
6
Thrilling
7
Absurd
4
Melancholic
4
Other
7

How their films linger

Fun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous6

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Ryūhei Kitamura's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ryūhei Kitamura's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

32 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Labyrinth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Director

  • The Price We Pay(2022)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Night Before Upheaval (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Actor

  • The Three Sisters of Tenmasou Inn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Director

  • The Doorman(2020)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Nightmare Cinema(2018)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Downrange(2017)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Lupin the 3rd(2014)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • No One Lives(2012)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Hellgate(2011)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Baton (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director

  • Baton (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

  • The Midnight Meat Train(2008)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Samurai Zombie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Original Story · Screenplay

  • LoveDeath(2006)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Godzilla: Final Wars(2004)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Katanas, yakuzas y cintas de video (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as (archive footage)

  • The Spear of Longinus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director · Writer

  • Nervous Part 1: Versus Side Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director

  • Nervous Part 2: Versus Side Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Original Story

  • Sky High(2002)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Battlefield Baseball (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Producer

  • The Messenger: Tomurai wa yoru no hate de (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director

  • Alive(2002)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Cop Festival: New Beginning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Actor

  • Azumi(2003)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Aragami (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director · Writer

  • Jam Films(2002)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Versus(2000)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Down to Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director · Composer · Editor · Producer · Writer · as Ponytail thug with truncheon

  • Heat After Dark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director · Writer

  • Thrill Ride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 32 titles, 31 of them dated from 1996 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Lupin the 3rd (2014)

$22M worldwide

Highest rated

Azumi (2003)

Midcredits 73rd

Most popular right now

The Doorman (2020)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting4 of 32: 3 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting25 of 32: 16 only directing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score41stWriting11 of 32: 2 only writing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score58thProducing4 of 32: 2 only producing, 2 with another roleMusic1 of 32: 0 only music, 1 with another roleEditing1 of 32: 0 only editing, 1 with another role

32 titles, 9 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 9 of them.

By decade

1990s2 · 1 acting · 2 crew2000s19 · 2 acting · 17 crew2010s5 · crew2020s5 · 1 acting · 4 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Ryūhei Kitamura's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 40th percentile, the median of all 15; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 39th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

39thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

88thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 15 titles are Mixed.

  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Mixed11

Most divisive · director, writer, producer

LoveDeath (2006)

64th percentile spread · 19% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Azumi (2003)

Midcredits 73rd · 67% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 53/100 and the pacing 43/100 in their films, across 14 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Ryūhei Kitamura's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films and sex & nudity lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore8 titles78–100 · median 96 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles4–49 · median 19 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles39–81 · median 60 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 30 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles63–89 · median 81 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Ryūhei Kitamura work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ryūhei Kitamura's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Shūichi Kakesu shares the most, 7.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers