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Swallowtail Butterfly

Swallowtail Butterfly

Drama · Crime · Music · 1996

The struggles of a group of outcasts living in "Yentown", in an alternate-future Japan.

Movie details

Swallowtail Butterfly

“This is the story of Yentowns in Yentown.”

1996 Drama · Crime · Music 2h 28m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.5 / 10

Community rating

The struggles of a group of outcasts living in "Yentown", in an alternate-future Japan.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Swallowtail Butterfly?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Shunji Iwai

Written by

Shunji Iwai

Ayumi Ito

Ayumi Ito

Ageha

Yosuke Eguchi

Yosuke Eguchi

Ryou Ryanki

Chara

Chara

Glico

Hiroshi Mikami

Hiroshi Mikami

Feihong

Andy Hui Chi-On

Andy Hui Chi-On

Maofu

Atsuro Watabe

Atsuro Watabe

Ran

Kaori Momoi

Kaori Momoi

Suzukino

Court is in session

Put Swallowtail Butterfly on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.