Siberian Express

On the last leg of of a train ride from Moscow to Manchuria during the early years of World War Two, one of the passengers suddenly disappears. All of the other passengers, including military personnel and civilians from both the Axis powers and Allied nations, have reasons to be suspected. As the remaining passengers investigate, more murders are committed, until at last the political and personal motives of the killer (killers?) are unravelled.

Directed by Haruo Mizuno, Siberian Express leans on a strong ensemble — Haruo Mizuno, Rino Katase, Takanori Higuchi — 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 drama titles of 1996.