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The Contestant

  • 2023
  • TV-MA
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
3.7K
YOUR RATING
The Contestant (2023)
A Japanese reality TV star left naked in a room for more than a year, tasked with filling out magazine sweepstakes to earn food and clothing.
Play trailer1:38
1 Video
4 Photos
BiographyDocumentary

A Japanese reality TV star left naked in a room for more than a year, tasked with filling out magazine sweepstakes to earn food and clothing.A Japanese reality TV star left naked in a room for more than a year, tasked with filling out magazine sweepstakes to earn food and clothing.A Japanese reality TV star left naked in a room for more than a year, tasked with filling out magazine sweepstakes to earn food and clothing.

  • Director
    • Clair Titley
  • Writer
    • Clair Titley
  • Stars
    • Toshio Tsuchiya
    • Nasubi
    • Kazuko Hamatsu
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    3.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Clair Titley
    • Writer
      • Clair Titley
    • Stars
      • Toshio Tsuchiya
      • Nasubi
      • Kazuko Hamatsu
    • 32User reviews
    • 30Critic reviews
    • 67Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 6 nominations total

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:38
    Official Trailer

    Photos3

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster

    Top cast9

    Edit
    Toshio Tsuchiya
    • Self
    Nasubi
    • Self
    • (as Tomoaki Hamatsu)
    Kazuko Hamatsu
    • Self - Tomoaki Hamatsu's mother
    Seiichi Hirai
    • Self - Nasubi's manager
    Harutaro Kagawa
    • Self - director of reality show Denpa Shonen
    Juliet Hindell
    • Self
    Ikuyo Hamatsu
    • Self - Tomoaki Hamatsu's elder sister
    Jun Anzai
    • Self - Tomoaki Hamatsu's childhood friend
    Kenji Kondo
    • Self - mountain guide
    • Director
      • Clair Titley
    • Writer
      • Clair Titley
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews32

    7.23.7K
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    10

    Featured reviews

    7thalassafischer

    Please Tell Me Nasubi is Financially Set For Life...

    All I could think while watching this is that in America this kind of TV star never actually gets rich. They might get their foot in the door, or get a lump sum of money they might be able to apply to other endeavors, but you don't necessarily become a millionaire set for life just from being on a TV show - even if people loved that show. That kind of thing really mostly applies to big Hollywood actors. And what this man endured was absolutely traumatic abuse.

    The absolute gall of that producer calling himself the devil, and saying he didn't know "at the time" how far was too far. Really? You were an adult with a career not a twelve year old kid, what do you mean you didn't know at the time how far was too far.

    Really intriguing to watch, and I am glad Nasubi was able to use his fame to move forward and help people in Fukushima. It may have even given him the tenacity required to survive Mt. Everest if you really think about it...but still.
    9darrylmsmith

    WOW

    I watched this by myself and I was saying out loud "WOW", "I don't believe this", and many expletives.

    It's a crazy ride. I'm not really an outwardly emotion person, but at certain points, I teared up - out of happiness, out of shock, out of just wrapping my head around.

    It is much more than a voyeuristic experience of him endure, it really is a reflection of humanity; on one hand the cruelty that humans can afflict on another, and then it also showcases the compassion of humanity.

    After watching, I am so surprised that here in the US I had never heard about this. It's really unbelievable.

    I am typing this right after watching and my head is still wrapping my head around what I just saw.
    8xkdsy

    Wtf

    The creator of this show is a huge pile of S@&T, He thinks he was being clever and interesting and creating entertaining shows even though he was essentially being a bully torturing another man for profit. I still got the feeling that he thinks he's hot S@&T, and kind of wish that he would've gone to jail. The other creators that are filmed also are responsible for taking part. They have zero sympathy for their fellow man. They are essentially the bully on the schoolyard making money. I hope the contestant himself Has a very fulfilling life now. What a sad story, take advantage of a guy who is Trying to make it.
    8monogatari82

    An unbelievably cruel thing to do to a human being

    I noticed this documentary, half intrigued but horrified by the premise, I'm about 3/4 into the documentary and feel like punching the producer of Denpa Shonen Toshio Tsuchiya who is still pleased with what he did, and doesn't seem to know empathy.

    With what I know from the afterlife, he will (like everyone) get to feel all the pain inflicted on other living beings, and feel exactly what they went through.

    This all just makes me feel sad. Some of the things that happened in there will be amongst the worst nightmare people can imagine.

    The documentary itself deserves an 8, I would probably not rate the original show that high.
    9JackRJosie

    Ying & Yang

    A lot of the reviews here point out the sheer insanity of the nature of the game. Nasubi did endure a level of hell and suffering that many of us will never taste. Japan laughed at him for it. This documentary is grossly tragic. Watching it, my jaw literally dropped to the floor. It does a serious job of depicting the sheer evil in man, the evil in human relationships.

    This alone would make the contestant a great documentary.

    What really deals the deal is the last 30 minutes. The switch is flipped and we get a look at what it means to be a good man. We see pure love play out in a broken man's heart. We come to see how to deal with suffering in a healthy and productive way. No. We learn how to deal with suffering in THE ONLY way. Love. The end of this doco had me in tears.

    People are not mentioning that. But it's what makes this documentary TRULY great. The ying and yang depiction of hate/love good/evil.

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    Related interests

    Ben Kingsley, Rohini Hattangadi, and Geraldine James in Gandhi (1982)
    Biography
    Dziga Vertov in Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
    Documentary

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Connections
      Features Susume! Denpa shônen (1992)
    • Soundtracks
      Way Out
      Written & Performed by Miho Hatori

      Licensed Courtesy of Miho Hatori

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    FAQ16

    • How long is The Contestant?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 2, 2024 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Languages
      • English
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • Japans ovetande realitystjärna
    • Filming locations
      • Fukushima, Japan
    • Production company
      • Misfits Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross worldwide
      • $24,108
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 30m(90 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital

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