Audition
Seven years after the death of his wife, widower Shigeharu seeks advice on how to find a new wife from a colleague. Taking advantage of their position as a film company, they stage an audition. Interviewing a series of women, Shigeharu is enchanted by the quiet Asami. But soon things take a twisted turn as Asami isn’t what she seems to be.
Critics Sentiment
Asami tortures Aoyama with needles and piano wire
Aoyama discovers disturbing truths about Asami's background
The film's most dramatic shift occurs between the slow investigative middle section and the explosive torture finale, jumping from 5.5 to 9.5 as Miike abandons restraint for visceral horror.
Audition follows a masterful trajectory from melancholy romance to psychological nightmare, with critics consistently praising Miike's patient buildup and Shiina's unsettling performance. While some found the middle section slow, most agreed the notorious finale delivers genuinely shocking horror that justifies the deliberate pacing. The film's reputation rests on its ability to lull viewers into false security before unleashing one of cinema's most disturbing climaxes.
Full cast
Ryo Ishibashi
Shigeharu Aoyama
Eihi Shiina
Asami Yamazaki
Jun Kunimura
Yasuhisa Yoshikawa
Tetsu Sawaki
Shigehiko Aoyama
Renji Ishibashi
Mr Shimada
Miyuki Matsuda
Ryoko Aoyama
Toshie Negishi
Rie
Yuriko Hirooka
Michiyo Yanagida
Shigeru Saiki
Toastmaster
Ken Mitsuishi
Director
Ren Osugi
Shibata
Kanji Tsuda
Bartender
Fumiyo Kohinata
TV Station Presenter
Misato Nakamura
Misuzu Takagi
Yuuto Arima
Young Shigehiko
Ayaka Izumi
Young Asami
Kimiko Tachibana
FM Announcer
Tatsuo Endō
Doctor
Koshio Jindôji
Nurse
Crew
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