Film

When the Night Breaks

1973 · TV Movie · Horror

In a bustling shopping district, a humble tailor accompanies his daughter for an afternoon out — until a trio of thugs begin harassing her in broad daylight. Unable to stay passive amidst the crowd’s indifference, he intervenes with tragic results. Two years later, having served time for excessive self-defense, he remains haunted by both the violence and the apathy of society. A veteran detective, still unsettled by the case, notices the tailor quietly providing money to the same thugs. What drives him? A modern horror tale with social undertones, adapted from Futaro Yamada’s short story “The Black Curtain,” this episode merges psychological unease, moral ambiguity, and a chilling critique of bystander indifference.

Kō Nishimura

Tamami Natsu

Tokue Hanazawa

Tokiko Mita

Maki Asakawa

Jazz singer

Rinichi Yamamoto

Keiji Yanoma

• Kazuo KurokiDirector
• Mari TakizawaScreenplay

Release date

February 19, 1973

Status

Released

Original language

Japanese

Genres

TV Movie, Horror