KimStim Secures Remake of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Serpent’s Path for Summer Launch

      The fact that every recent Kiyoshi Kurosawa project—some running for 45 minutes and initially created as NFTs—can secure a theatrical release makes the isolation of Serpent’s Path particularly strange, considering it is a deserving remake of his 1998 film. (Even the restoration of that poignant film had a proper showing while the new one remained unavailable.) We will no longer wonder or complain and are excited to exclusively announce that KimStim will release Serpent’s Path this summer at the IFC Center, likely followed by a broader North American distribution.

      The film stars Damien Bonnard (Poor Things) and Ko Shibasaki (The Boy and the Heron), with co-stars Hidetoshi Nishijima (Drive My Car), Mathieu Amalric, and Grégoire Colin, a regular actor in Claire Denis's works. Viewers familiar with Kurosawa’s original will recognize the foundational concept yet be surprised by its distinctive directions—notably, some reflections of the director's own out-of-place experience. Since the original was accompanied by Eyes of the Spider—a project featuring overlapping cast, crew, and themes—Serpent’s Path often feels more like the third installment in a series rather than just a remake. (Kurosawa mentioned to me that he views it as more aligned with his creative essence.) However, I leave it for you to watch the film and form your own opinion.

      The official synopsis and poster are provided below:

      "Kiyoshi Kurosawa re-examines and reinterprets his 1998 thriller in this haunting French-language adaptation of Serpent’s Path, transforming a revenge tale into a chilling exploration of grief, guilt, and moral deterioration. Moving the story from Tokyo to the desolate outskirts of Paris, the film follows a grieving father (Damien Bonnard) who embarks on a convoluted quest for revenge against a shadowy child-trafficking group called ‘The Circle,’ assisted by the mysterious and unnervingly composed Sayoko, portrayed with captivating ambiguity by Ko Shibasaki. Expanding the original’s psychological depth while preserving its eerie certainty, Kurosawa delivers a masterclass in atmosphere and existential dread, reaffirming his status as one of cinema's master builders of discomfort."