Rights holder / Distributor: BLT TOKYO LIMITED / Sony Pictures Entertainment / NEON
„"„Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo“" (Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo) is a Japanese-American-British crime thriller film directed by Takashi Miike according to the scenario of Daisuke Tengan. The film has its festival premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 14, 2026, and its Japanese premiere is scheduled for October 23. The film stars Shun Oguri, Lily James and Jonah Daddio, and the story carries the famous series "„The Bad Lieutenant“"in the neon and dark world of Tokyo.
Plot
The story centers on a Tokyo police officer, addicted to gambling and deep in debt, who finds himself involved in a series of brutal murders linked to the yakuza. The situation is complicated when an FBI agent arrives in Japan, searching for the missing daughter of an influential American family. The two seemingly separate investigations gradually begin to intertwine in Tokyo's criminal underworld.
The deeper he delves into the case, the more the protagonist encounters corruption, violence, criminal organizations and his own addictions. The presence of a mysterious killer further complicates the situation and raises questions about who is really in control of the events. The plot promises a combination of crime mystery, neon noir and brutal action, typical of the darker side of Japanese cinema.
Directing
Takashi Miike is one of the most recognizable Japanese directors, and his name alone is a serious reason for interest in the production. He has created cult films such as "„Audition“, „Ichi the Killer“" and "„13 murderers“", and in recent years has shown that he can work equally confidently with crime stories, action and more experimental cinema. In "„Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo“"This experience seems particularly appropriate for material in which violence, moral decay, and the criminal underworld are an integral part of the story.".
The film is the third part of the series "„The Bad Lieutenant“" and is a standalone sequel to "„Bad Lieutenant: Port of Duty – New Orleans“" since 2009 with Nicolas Cage, while the original "„The Bad Lieutenant“" since 1992 on Able Ferrara is with Harvey Keitel. The new production does not directly continue the plots of the previous two films, but it retains the basic idea of a morally compromised police officer and transports it into a completely different cultural and visual environment.
Acting
Shun Oguri takes on the role of a troubled Tokyo police officer and is a natural choice for a story that requires both physical presence and the ability to show the character's moral instability. International audiences already know him from "„Godzilla vs. Kong“", but in Japanese cinema he has a significantly longer career. He is opposed by Lily James as the FBI agent, and her presence adds an international element to the story, which is otherwise completely immersed in the Tokyo underworld.
The cast also includes: Shotaro Mamiya, Takanori Iwata, Jun Kunimura, Hideo Nakano, Jun Murakami, Nanase Nishino and Hiroshi Tachi, which build the criminal environment around the two main characters. Particularly interesting is the participation of Jonah Daddio, known to audiences from professional wrestling as Liv Morgan, makes a more serious step into film here. She plays the missing daughter of an influential American family.
Conclusion
„Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo“" has all the makings of being one of the more unconventional crime productions of 2026. The combination of Taakshi Miike, the Japanese underworld, an American crime element, and the legacy of the series create an interesting foundation for a film that clearly doesn't aspire to be a standard police thriller. The neon vision of Tokyo and the themes of addiction, corruption, and moral decay further bring it closer to the dark spirit of the previous installments.
The strongest argument for the production remains its director, who has enough courage to turn the familiar formula into something different. For fans of crime films with an unusual atmosphere, cruelty and morally ambiguous characters "„Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo“" is a title that deserves attention. And the connection with the films of Able Ferrara and Werner Herzog makes it even more interesting for viewers who know the history of the series.
