Seicho Matsumoto's Black Gospel

In 1959, a body of a flight attendant of an international airline is found, strangled. Detective Rokuro Fujisawa takes charge of the investigation with a young detective Ichimura and his investigations lead him to Father Tolbeck as a suspect. But the police are forced to move very discreetly as the time was right after the Second World War, when a sensitive situation that involves Western people and religion is likely to become an international issue. The investigation leads to an unexpected discloser of a shadowy business behind the church that reflects the uncertainty of the time.

Directed by Kan Ishibashi, Seicho Matsumoto's Black Gospel leans on a strong ensemble — Takeshi Kitano, Eita Nagayama, Fumino Kimura — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about tv movie titles of 2014.