MEGUMI, Aoki Matcho Among 7 New Cast Members for 'Beasts That Cling to Straws'
The casting of Aoki Matcho, known for his physical comedy, as a silent strongman yakuza adds a distinct tonal layer to this ensemble-driven money-survival thriller.
Reporting from 2 sources: Eiga Natalie, Cinema Today.
Seven additional cast members have been announced for the film 'Beasts That Cling to Straws', starring Oji Suzuka. The non-stop suspense thriller, directed by Hideo Josho and based on the novel by Keisuke Sone, follows characters who become entangled over a found 100 million yen. MEGUMI plays Mami Shoda, a housewife burdened with massive debts after suffering losses in currency exchange. Oshiro Maeda plays Shinaya Muto, a persistent customer at the nightclub where Mami works. Aoki Matcho appears as Erringi, a yakuza with immense strength who also practices flower arrangement. Ryo Iwamatsu plays Iwao Gota, the boss of the Gota group who pressures corrupt police officer Ryosuke Ebato (Hiroki Narimiya) to repay a debt. Ryutaro Ninomiya plays Demekin, a thug belonging to the Gota group. Shinya Kote plays detective Katsuji Higo, who partners with Ebato to investigate a massive fraud case. Jun Fubuki plays Tomiko Sato, the grandmother of Suzuka's character Kanji, whose actions may influence the fate of the money. The film opens nationwide on September 25. The screenplay was co-written by Yasuko Kobayashi and Hideo Josho.
MEGUMI, who plays the debt-ridden housewife Mami Shoda, said of her character: "In today's world, many people overthink and don't act, but in the sense of acting without thinking, I found it somewhat dazzling." Oshiro Maeda, who plays the persistent nightclub customer Shinaya Muto, previously played MEGUMI's son in a drama. He recalled: "This time we have a relationship between a nightclub worker and a customer, and I found this job interesting again (laughs)."
Aoki Matcho, known for his physical comedy in the duo Kakeochi, described his role as the silent strongman Erringi: "Not talking much, expressionless, and being big-bodied is just like my usual self." He added that for the role, "I shouted the loudest in my life, opened my eyes the widest, and opened my mouth the most."
The film's screenplay was co-written by Yasuko Kobayashi, known for the "Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan" series, and director Hideo Josho. The story follows Kanji Sato (Oji Suzuka), a weak university student YouTuber with double-digit subscribers who discovers a large sum of money in a suspicious Boston bag at his part-time job. Hiroki Narimiya plays corrupt police officer Ryosuke Ebato, and Nana Mori plays the "night-work villainess" Shiina.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Eiga Natalie 鈴鹿央士の映画「藁にもすがる獣たち」にMEGUMIら7名、青木マッチョは無表情な怪力男
- Cinema Today MEGUMI、前田旺志ら…『藁にもすがる獣たち』 追加キャスト7名一挙発表