Harrison Cheung
In ONE NIGHT IN TOKYO, writer-director Joshua Woodcock crafts a poignant romantic drama that should speak to Generation Why. A modern love story set against the neon-lit streets of Japan’s capital, the film follows Sam (Reza Emamiyeh), an American tech executive, as he embarks on what should have been a fun trip—only to find himself disoriented in an unfamiliar city, nursing a broken heart. Watch the official trailer for the film below!
Sam arrives in Tokyo expecting to spend a week with his expat girlfriend, Becca (Cailee Oliver), to celebrate his birthday. But at the airport, he is met with an unexpected silence—Becca is nowhere to be found, and she’s not answering her phone. As he battles jetlag and mounting stress from a demanding boss back home, Sam manages to navigate Tokyo’s public transportation system, only to reach Becca’s apartment and discover that she has broken up with him. She gives him a broken watch as a birthday gift.
ONE NIGHT IN TOKYO is a crafty, poignant romantic drama echoing the isolation and vulnerability of its characters
Defeated and miserable, Sam decides to change his flight back to New York to the next morning. He plans to meet up with a friend Jun (Shinichiro Watanabe) for dinner and drinks but Jun bails and tells Sam to have drinks with his girlfriend, Ayaka (Tokiko Kitagawa), and her friends instead.
Sam and Ayaka soon bond over shared misery and surprise betrayals as they wander the late-night streets of Tokyo before Sam’s flight home.
Woodcock’s storytelling excels in capturing the emotional weight of communication—both linguistic and personal. Sam and Ayaka don’t share a common language, relying instead on a translation app that proves to be as clumsy as their situation. Yet, through fractured conversations, stolen glances, and shared experiences, they manage to connect on a deeper level.
There’s some exaggeration regarding the abilities of the translation app, but one can forgive Woodcock for perhaps having the phone evolve along with Sam and Ayaka.
Reminiscent of Richard Linklater’s BEFORE trilogy, ONE NIGHT IN TOKYO is an intimate, dialogue-driven romance that feels like it’s unfolding in real time. Woodcock transforms Tokyo’s normally chaotic streets into an almost dreamlike, desolate backdrop, echoing the isolation and vulnerability of his characters. The film’s striking cinematography evokes the moody, after-hours aesthetic of Martin Scorsese’s AFTER HOURS, painting a haunting portrait of urban loneliness.
The chemistry between the two appealing leads, Emamiyeh and Kitagawa, is undeniable, carrying the emotional weight of the film as they bridge the barriers that separate them. Their performances, paired with Woodcock’s immersive direction, make ONE NIGHT IN TOKYO a heartfelt and refreshingly grounded entry into the romantic drama genre.
ONE NIGHT IN TOKYO is available now on DIGITAL / VOD.
ONE NIGHT IN TOKYO – official website
