agmtw logo
search

True Mothers (2020)

True Mothers (2020)

7.0

A delicately assembled, if a bit lengthy, portrait of adoption today

Movie

Japan
Japanese
Drama
2020
imdb
rt
wiki

TLDR

A bit too long, but it makes adoption seem more normal compared to other depictions, and that's what makes it great.

What it's about

Years after adopting her son Asato, Satoko Kurihara receives unexpected contact from Hikari Katakura, Asato’s teenage biological mother.

The take

While adoption doesn’t have the same stigma as it did back in the day, it doesn’t mean that the process is worry-free. There’s still a host of issues surrounding the process, plenty of which have been depicted in film. So, it’s no surprise that True Mothers holds more or less the same themes we’ve seen before, but where some films focus on mining the melodrama, filmmaker Naomi Kawase’s writing is much more restrained, keeping its take as naturalistic and detail-oriented as possible, and thus, demystifying the process. The slow pace may not be to everyone’s taste, but True Mothers is a thoughtful, sensitive portrayal of Japan’s adoption system today.

What stands out

Hiromi Nagasaku does a great job leading the cast, but Aju Makita steals the second half with her excellent performance.

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

The Handmaiden (2016)

Called a masterpiece by many, you are likely to decide to watch this twisted, sexy South-Korean thriller twice.

9.2

Like Someone in Love (2012)

A Japanese drama that shows comfort can be found everywhere, including in a stranger's house

7.9

Our Little Sister (2016)

Japanese mastermind Koreeda's plotless exploration of grief

8.5

The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes (2022)

Two kids time-travel through a wish-granting tunnel in this wistful, if a bit familiar, sci-fi romance

7.0

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (2021)

Three separate stories intertwined with themes of love and fate

8.9

Yi Yi (2000)

Life goes on, beautifully and tragically, in Edward Yang’s magnum opus

9.0

Drive My Car (2021)

A poignant, meandering tale of art, love, and loss

8.9

Lust, Caution (2007)

A wartime spy falls for a collaborator in this erotic espionage drama

7.3

Asako I & II (2018)

A quietly surreal meditation on love and the people it transforms us into

8.0

The Parades (2024)

Michihito Fujii reimagines a peaceful, communal afterlife in this slice-of-life supernatural drama

7.2

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2025 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.