TMBTMB
TMBTMB

Track, discover and find where to watch TV shows and movies.

Discover

  • Movies
  • TV Shows
  • Browse
  • Topics

Account

  • Watchlist
  • Watched
  • Ratings

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Content Policy

© 2026 Movie Browser. All rights reserved.

Data provided by TMDB

Home
Browse
Watchlist
backdrop
backdrop
logo
A broken father, a mystical dog, and a daughter's whistle — vengeance wears fur in '70s Japan.
TMDB
75

Shag (1978)

gritty neo-noiryakuza adjacentspiritual undertones

Overview

MysteryCrime

Shiro Akitsu goes on a relentless search for his abducted 7-year-old daughter, with the aid of an Ainu dog summoned by a whistle she gave him.

Flag of JPJPJapanese
Content warning
based on novel or bookinvestigation

Standout Aspects

Direction

Nakajima merges yakuza grit with haunting mythic imagery.

Acting

Sugawara's weathered desperation — a career peak.

Cinematography

Bleak '70s Tokyo streets that swallow hope whole.

Best for:Solo: Late night when you want to feel something deeply uncomfortable.·Rewatch: Second viewing for Nakajima's visual poetry you missed.
Heads up:Violence: Brutal physical confrontations; child abduction trauma throughout.·Disturbing: Psychological torture of a father's helplessness.
Sadao Nakajima

Director

Sadao Nakajima

ReleasedMar 31, 1978
Runtime2h 19m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacesteady
Intensityhigh
Tonedark
Feelheavy
Mifune Productions

Top Cast

Bunta Sugawara

Bunta Sugawara

Kinya Kitaoji

Kinya Kitaoji

Yoshio Harada

Yoshio Harada

Keiko Takeshita

Keiko Takeshita

Wakako Sakai

Wakako Sakai

Hiroshi Katsuno

Hiroshi Katsuno

Rino Katase

Rino Katase

Go Wakabayashi

Go Wakabayashi

Takenori Murano

Takenori Murano

Hideo Murota

Hideo Murota

Shigeru Kōyama

Shigeru Kōyama

Hideji Ōtaki

Hideji Ōtaki

Raita Ryu

Raita Ryu

Jiro Sakagami

Jiro Sakagami

Ask about Shag

Opens AI chat

Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Cultural

One of the rare 1970s yakuza films centering Ainu spiritual elements, reflecting Japan's fraught relationship with its indigenous north.

Trivia

The dog was reportedly so difficult to direct that Sugawara fed it yakitori between takes, creating an on-set legend.

Reviews

No ratings yet

Start the discussionBe the first to post — spoiler-safe
Rate & reviewBe the first to weigh in

Recommended

Miss Marple: The Murder at the Vicarage movie poster (1986)
6.6

Miss Marple: The Murder at the Vicarage

God Is a Bullet movie poster (2023)
6.1

God Is a Bullet

Miss Marple: They Do It with Mirrors movie poster (1991)
6.9

Miss Marple: They Do It with Mirrors

Dead Man's Folly movie poster (1986)
6.4

Dead Man's Folly

Miss Marple: A Caribbean Mystery movie poster (1989)
6.5

Miss Marple: A Caribbean Mystery

The Wings of the Kirin movie poster (2012)
6.4

The Wings of the Kirin

Winged Creatures movie poster (2009)
5.9

Winged Creatures

Vengeance Is Mine movie poster (1979)
7.6

Vengeance Is Mine

Murder in Three Acts movie poster (1986)
5.9

Murder in Three Acts

Golden Slumber movie poster (2010)
7.1

Golden Slumber

Stray Dog movie poster (1949)
7.6

Stray Dog

Welcome to the Punch movie poster (2013)
5.9

Welcome to the Punch

A Fugitive from the Past movie poster (1965)
7.3

A Fugitive from the Past

Villain movie poster (2010)
6.8

Villain

Miss Marple: 4.50 from Paddington movie poster (1987)
7.4

Miss Marple: 4.50 from Paddington

More Like This

The Little Stranger movie poster (2018)
5.7

The Little Stranger

White Skin movie poster (2004)
5.0

White Skin

Le Voyageur de la Toussaint movie poster (1943)
7.4

Le Voyageur de la Toussaint

Pontypool movie poster (2009)
6.5

Pontypool

The Bikeriders movie poster (2024)
6.7

The Bikeriders

Night of the Demon movie poster (1957)
7.0

Night of the Demon

Drowning Mona movie poster (2000)
5.5

Drowning Mona

Domino movie poster (2019)
4.6

Domino

Something Wicked This Way Comes movie poster (1983)
6.4

Something Wicked This Way Comes

The Secret in Their Eyes movie poster (2009)
8.0

The Secret in Their Eyes

Crooks in Clover movie poster (1963)
7.7

Crooks in Clover

Yurigokoro movie poster (2017)
7.2

Yurigokoro

Pépé le Moko movie poster (1937)
7.2

Pépé le Moko

Harper movie poster (1966)
6.7

Harper

The Facts of Murder movie poster (1959)
7.2

The Facts of Murder

Discussion

Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.

Discussion starters

View all comments →