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The Sea of Trees

  • 2015
  • PG-13
  • 1h 50m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
20K
YOUR RATING
Matthew McConaughey, Ken Watanabe, and Naomi Watts in The Sea of Trees (2015)
Trailer for The Sea Of Trees
Play trailer1:57
2 Videos
98 Photos
Psychological DramaTragedyDramaFantasyMysteryThriller

A suicidal American befriends a Japanese man lost in a forest near Mt. Fuji and the two search for a way out.A suicidal American befriends a Japanese man lost in a forest near Mt. Fuji and the two search for a way out.A suicidal American befriends a Japanese man lost in a forest near Mt. Fuji and the two search for a way out.

  • Director
    • Gus Van Sant
  • Writer
    • Chris Sparling
  • Stars
    • Matthew McConaughey
    • Naomi Watts
    • Ken Watanabe
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.1/10
    20K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Gus Van Sant
    • Writer
      • Chris Sparling
    • Stars
      • Matthew McConaughey
      • Naomi Watts
      • Ken Watanabe
    • 144User reviews
    • 101Critic reviews
    • 23Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations total

    Videos2

    The Sea of Trees
    Trailer 1:57
    The Sea of Trees
    The Sea Of Trees | Official Trailer HD
    Trailer 1:57
    The Sea Of Trees | Official Trailer HD
    The Sea Of Trees | Official Trailer HD
    Trailer 1:57
    The Sea Of Trees | Official Trailer HD

    Photos98

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    + 92
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    Top Cast57

    Edit
    Matthew McConaughey
    Matthew McConaughey
    • Arthur Brennan
    Naomi Watts
    Naomi Watts
    • Joan Brennan
    Ken Watanabe
    Ken Watanabe
    • Takumi Nakamura
    Ryoko Seta
    • Airport Desk Agent
    Sienna Tow
    • Girl in Airport
    Naoko Marshall
    • Flight Attendant
    Michiko Tomura
    • Woman on Train
    Yûsuke Tozawa
    • Man on Train
    • (as Yusuke Tozawa)
    Abe Lee Tsunenori
    • Taxi Driver
    • (as Tsunenori Lee Abe)
    Joe Girard
    Joe Girard
    • Man at Convenience Store
    • (as Joseph Girard)
    Jazmin Domenech
    • Young Woman
    Luke DeWolfe
    • Young Man
    Katie Aselton
    Katie Aselton
    • Gabriella Laforte
    Nada Despotovich
    • Maryanne Wescott
    Christopher Tarjan
    • Gil Cramer
    Charles Van Eman
    • Paul Wescott
    Bruce Norris
    Bruce Norris
    • Dr. Howerton
    Joe Baken
    Joe Baken
    • Simon
    • (as Joseph Baken)
    • Director
      • Gus Van Sant
    • Writer
      • Chris Sparling
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews144

    6.119.5K
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    Featured reviews

    7chenggaga

    Life is so precious even if you don't like it at all

    What is life, the strange question. People suffers from depression, sorrow and sadness. People lose someone they love. That's the reason so people want to die.

    To here we are, an American who didn't know the meaning of his life, neither his life partner. Every life has up site down. So they do.

    So something happened to them that shouldn't have happened.

    He decided to go the jungle of mass suicide. Per years there are 100+ suicide reports into this jungle. The Japanese name of this jungle is Aokigahara. also known as the Suicide Forest or Sea of Trees

    So let me talk about the low rating and bad reviews. I suggest, do not listen to them. This isn't a everyone type movie. Some people like and someone dislikes. I liked it. And i realized that Life is precious.
    10esteemdancers-1

    Don't let others influence you to not watch this movie

    I don't understand why this movie was booed at the Cannes Film Festival. This is a beautiful story. It is a story in which we learn so many lessons about life's most difficult moments and how one can find the courage to survive. Excellent acting and beautiful script. The cinematography is beautiful.

    An American man, Arthur Brennan, played by Matthew McConaughey travels to the "Suicide Forest" (Aokigahara forest) to kill himself at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan, the site of numerous suicides. There he encounters a Japanese man, Takumi Nakamura, played by Ken Watanabe, who wants to kill himself as well, and both men begin a journey of self- reflection and survival.

    But more than the suicide theme, there is the story of Arthur Brennan and his relationship with his wife, Joan, played by Naomi Watts, which is told to the viewer with a series of flashbacks. The core problems that exist in so many marriages are brought to the surface and examined during the unfolding of the story. It is a stark reminder of how easily we sometimes let love and relationships deteriorate when we don't have to. Thinking we will one day have time to fix the problem.

    Beautiful story and excellent acting from all. I loved this film.
    7AJ4F

    Why was this panned? It's unique and worth seeing.

    Was there a major edit made for the U.S. release? I'd read that it started off good and the ending got convoluted, but the film was consistently well played throughout. Regardless of any changes, watching this taught me again that critics are fickle and you need to see something yourself. There can be a negative mob mentality if a film gets bad press early on, even if people don't really know why.

    McConaughey's acting was subdued for his character and it fit the role. I won't give away the plot twists but I'd recommend this as much as any recent, well-received movie. The atmosphere was unique and low-key, and I couldn't find major faults, though I wasn't totally surprised by a certain driving scene.
    7pino-37062

    Lovely journey

    Though it starts slow and kind of unnerving, the story unfolds in a beautiful way.

    Great actors. Meaningful life themes.

    Beautiful ending. Makes all the discomfort worth it.

    Just take it slow, pour a glass of wine and let it conquer you in a subtle, japanese, endearing kind of way.
    7jbarber-35518

    Give it a Chance

    This was a very good movie. Yes, it starts slow but if you have the patience to watch until the very end you will find the writer and director did a wonderful job at tying everything up together. It shouldn't have been booed, as it was a heart warming story that had excellent acting. This movie deserves an opportunity at redemption in the world of movie downloads, and cable movies. So sad to see it destroyed by critics without having been given a chance. This is not a movie that I would watch over and over, but it is a very good one time watch. The use of flashbacks may be a turnoff for some as it drags out the movie a little longer than some may be comfortable with. The filming was different but captured the essence of the film, emotions and desperation. Trust me, do yourself a favor and give it a view on a weekend when you are bored... so no loss in the event you agree with the film festival crowd and critics.

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    Related interests

    Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
    Psychological Drama
    Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams in Manchester by the Sea (2016)
    Tragedy
    Naomie Harris, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monáe, André Holland, Herman Caheej McGloun, Edson Jean, Alex R. Hibbert, and Tanisha Cidel in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
    Fantasy
    Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)
    Mystery
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The forest scenes were filmed in Purgatory Chasm, a Massachusetts state reservation. Interestingly, while stumbling through the woods, the Ken Watanabe character says to the Matthew McConaughey character, "You are in purgatory".
    • Goofs
      When Arthur is shown on the airplane, he has the orchid with him and then again when he arrives home (he is shown setting the potted flower down). An agricultural item such as this would have to go through quarantine and he would never just take it home.
    • Quotes

      Takumi Nakamura: You must know, this forest is very powerful.

    • Connections
      Featured in The Sea of Trees: A Story of Beauty and Tragedy (2016)
    • Soundtracks
      Uma Prece (A Prayer)
      Written by Luiz Bonfá (as Luiz Bonfa)

      Performed by Luiz Bonfá (as Luiz Bonfa)

      From the recording entitled Solo in Rio 1959, SFW40483

      Courtesy of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, (p) (c) 2005

      Used by permission

      (c) Irmãos Vitale SA Indústria e Comércio. Administered by Peer International Corporation.

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    FAQ19

    • How long is The Sea of Trees?Powered by Alexa
    • Who is the other man?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 26, 2016 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official site
      • Official site (Japan)
    • Languages
      • English
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • Море дерев
    • Filming locations
      • Mount Fuji, Shizuoka, Japan
    • Production companies
      • Bloom
      • Netter Productions
      • Waypoint Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $25,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $20,444
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,877
      • Aug 28, 2016
    • Gross worldwide
      • $906,995
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 50m(110 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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