Tell Me

On May 2, 1998, Hide, a leading Japanese rock musician who had been active as a guitarist for X JAPAN and as a solo artist (hide with Spread Beaver/zilch), suddenly passed away. His funeral was attended by about 50,000 people and became a social phenomenon as all of Japan wept at his untimely farewell. His younger brother, Hiroshi Matsumoto, who was Hide's manager, started to work with Hide's co-producer I.N.A., who had been working on a song with Hide, and his friends to make his brother's will come true. Yuji and I.N.A. struggle under the unusual circumstance that Hide himself is not present, but they are confronted with various difficulties.

Directed by Renpei Tsukamoto, Tell Me leans on a strong ensemble — Tsubasa Imai, Takashi Tsukamoto, Juon Kamata — 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 screen titles of 2022.