Ride or Die

A daring but inconsistent investigation of love, tragedy, and freedom that follows Rei as she assists her longtime infatuation in leaving an abusive marriage, igniting a perilous quest for survival and desire. The film's plot frequently falters under awkward speech and manipulative decisions that undermine the emotional core, but its raw performances—especially those of Kiko Mizuhara and Honami Sato—bring vulnerability and passion to their characters. The plot issues with tone and pacing, overshadowing moments of true closeness with inappropriate representations and a sense of excess, despite its attempt to combine road-movie thrills with LGBT romance.

Staff:

Directed by: Ryuichi Hiroki

Written by: Nami Sakkawa

Based on: Gunjō by Ching Nakamura

Produced by: Haruo Umekawa

Starring: Kiko Mizuhara, Honami Sato, Yoko Maki, Shunsuke Tanaka, Anne Suzuki, Shinya Niiro, Tetsushi Tanaka, and Setsuko Karasuma.

Cinematography: Tadashi Kuwabara

Edited by: Minoru Nomoto

Music by: Haruomi Hosono

Production companies: Kôdansha, Shogakukan, and Studio3

Distributed by: Netflix

Release date: April 15, 2021

Running time: 142 minutes