Retribution

Retribution

Year: 2006

Runtime: 104 mins

Language: Japanese

Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa

HorrorThrillerMysteryThrillers and murder mysteriesIntriguing and suspenseful murder mysteries

Haunted by the past, a detective pursues a string of murders that share the same method and locale, suggesting a serial killer at work. As evidence increasingly points to him, a mysterious red‑clad ghost haunts his steps, forcing him to doubt his own identity. The truth he uncovers reveals darker, far‑reaching conspiracy that leaves his mind scarred.

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Timeline & Setting – Retribution (2006)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Retribution (2006). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Tokyo waterfront, asylum

The opening murder takes place along the Tokyo waterfront, a damp, foggy harbor that blends city bustle with coastal isolation. The ferry routes and the nearby asylum grounds create a physical link between the crime and a buried past. The setting mixes modern urban energy with maritime melancholy, underscoring the case’s disturbing return to a long-forgotten event.

🌊 Waterfront 🏙️ Urban setting 🌀 Eerie atmosphere

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:49

Main Characters – Retribution (2006)

Meet the key characters of Retribution (2006), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Noboru Yoshioka (Koji Yakusho)

An experienced detective drawn into a murder case that seems to implicate him. As clues point to himself and his memory grows unreliable, he confronts the possibility that his actions have shaped the very crimes he pursues. His rational approach clashes with supernatural revelations, pushing him toward a devastating self-discovery. The investigation becomes an inward journey as the past he cannot remember resurfaces.

🕵️ Detective 🧠 Memory 💥 Guilt

Woman in Red (Riona Hazuki)

A ghost in a red dress who haunts Yoshioka, guiding but also terrifying him. She is not the murdered woman, but the spirit of a woman seen in an asylum window 15 years ago, now seeking forgiveness. Her appearances drive the detective to connect past abuse with present killings. Her presence marks a turning point as forgiveness and truth collide with danger.

👻 Ghost 🌹 Red dress 🌀 Haunting

Unknown Woman in Red

The murdered woman found drowned in the water, her stomach filled with seawater, wearing a red dress. Her death triggers the investigation and serves as the catalyst for the interplay between memory, guilt, and the uncanny. She remains at the center of a mystery that blurs reality with the supernatural.

💀 Victim 🧭 Motif 🧩 Mystery

Yoshioka's Girlfriend

The detective’s girlfriend, whose relationship becomes entangled with the case and the truth he must face. The revelation that he killed her six months earlier adds a devastating layer to the story, showing the consequences of unresolved guilt. Her memory lingers as the final tragedy in the detective’s arc.

❤️ Girlfriend ⚖️ Guilt 🗝️ Secret

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:49

Major Themes – Retribution (2006)

Explore the central themes of Retribution (2006), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

👻 Haunting

A red-dressed ghost materializes for Yoshioka, turning the investigation into a supernatural reckoning. The specter embodies guilt, memory, and the inescapable past that surfaces through crime. Her appearances reshape what is real and what is imagined, driving the detective toward painful revelations. The haunting propels new murders and forces a confrontation with his own actions.

🧠 Psychological

Yoshioka’s memory fragments as clues echo his missing recollections, turning the case into a mental labyrinth. The investigation becomes a test of perception, where fear and denial blur truth. Guilt distorts his judgement and pushes him toward irrational choices. The film uses the mind as a battleground where memory can betray the self.

🌊 Fate & Cycle

Water motifs tie the murders to the ferry routes past the asylum, suggesting a repeating pattern of violence. The story implies a fate that pulls the living toward a lethal reunion with the past. The ending reinforces a doom-laden loop where actions echo across time. The oceanic imagery emphasizes the inescapable pull of what has already occurred.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:49

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Retribution Summary

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Retribution Summary

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Retribution Timeline

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Retribution Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Retribution

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