Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo is a Japanese-American neo-noir action crime thriller directed by Takashi Miike and written by Daisuke Tengan. The 2026 movie stars Shun Oguri, Lily James, Shotaro Mamiya, Liv Morgan, Shūhei Nomura, Jun Kunimura, and Hiroshi Tachi. The story follows a corrupt Tokyo police detective who is also addicted to gambling.
The detective becomes involved in a dangerous investigation when an FBI agent arrives in Japan to look into the disappearance of a politician’s daughter. Their cases soon connect to a brutal criminal working in Tokyo’s underworld. Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo is a standalone continuation of the Bad Lieutenant franchise, which includes Abel Ferrara’s 1992 film and Werner Herzog’s 2009 film.
Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo is scheduled to open in Japan on October 23, 2026, following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. NEON is handling the movie’s North American distribution, while Sony Pictures Entertainment is distributing the film in Japan.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo |
| Genre | Action, Crime, Thriller |
| Director/Writer | Takashi Miike / Daisuke Tengan |
| Starring | Shun Oguri, Lily James, Shotaro Mamiya, Liv Morgan, Shūhei Nomura, Jun Kunimura, Hiroshi Tachi |
| Runtime | 108 minutes |
| Age Rating | R |
| Release Date | October 23, 2026 (Japan) |
| Distributor | NEON (North America), Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan) |
Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo Age Rating
Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo is rated R for strong bloody violence, grisly images, sexual content, drug use, and language. The movie deals with police corruption, gambling addiction, murder, organized crime, drugs, and other adult subjects. The violent crime story also includes disturbing imagery and dangerous situations.
Japan has classified Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo as PG12, meaning viewers under 12 require parental guidance. However, the reported US R rating indicates that the movie contains much stronger adult material than would normally be suitable for children.
An R rating means the movie is intended for adults and older teens. In the US, viewers under 17 generally need to be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. Parents should check the specific content before allowing younger viewers to watch.
Is Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo Suitable for Kids?
Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo is not suitable for children. The movie contains strong bloody violence, grisly images, sexual content, drug use, and strong language. Its story also deals with murder, gambling addiction, police corruption, organized crime, and other mature subjects.
Younger teens should avoid the movie because several types of adult content appear together. Older teens may be able to handle Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo with parental guidance, but parents should consider their teen’s comfort with graphic crime stories and mature sexual and drug-related material.
Age-by-Suitability Table
| Age Group | Suitability |
|---|---|
| Ages 3-7 | No, not suitable for young children. |
| Ages 8-12 | No, not recommended for this age group. |
| Teens (13-15) | Not recommended due to mature content. |
| Teens (16-17) | Viewer discretion advised; mature teens may watch with parental guidance. |
| Adults | Yes, suitable for mature audiences. |
Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo Parents Guide
- Sex & Nudity: Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo contains sexual content, sexual references, adult situations, and some nudity. The movie’s criminal underworld includes vice-related settings and adult entertainment. Sexual material is part of the movie’s mature crime setting.
- Violence & Gore: Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo contains strong bloody violence and grisly images. The story involves murder, criminal activity, shootings, physical assaults, threats, and dangerous confrontations. Injuries, blood, dead bodies, and disturbing crime scenes may be shown.
- Profanity: Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo contains strong language and profanity. Characters may use aggressive language, insults, and crude expressions during arguments, threats, and stressful situations.
- Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo contains drug use and mature themes related to addiction. The story also focuses on a detective with a gambling addiction and shows characters involved in criminal behavior and substance use.
- Frightening & Intense Scenes: Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo can be intense and disturbing. Murder investigations, violent criminals, grisly images, threats, corruption, addiction, and dangerous situations create a dark atmosphere. Some crime scenes and violent moments may be upsetting for sensitive viewers.
Tips for Parents
Parents should be aware that Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo is an adult crime thriller with several strong content warnings. The movie combines graphic violence with sexual content, drug use, strong language, and disturbing themes. Parents of older teens should consider watching the trailer first and deciding whether their teen is comfortable with this type of mature crime movie.
Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo Official Trailer
You can watch the official trailer for Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo here:
Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo is scheduled to open theatrically in Japan on October 23, 2026. NEON is handling the movie’s North American distribution, while Sony Pictures Entertainment is distributing it in Japan.
FAQs
Q: What is the age rating for Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo?
A: Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo is rated R for strong bloody violence, grisly images, sexual content, drug use, and language.
Q: Is Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo suitable for kids or young teens?
A: No, Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo is not suitable for kids or young teens because it contains graphic violence, sexual content, drug use, strong language, and mature crime themes.
Q: Does Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo contain violence or gore?
A: Yes, Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo contains strong bloody violence and grisly images, including shootings, assaults, murder-related scenes, injuries, blood, and disturbing crime imagery.
Q: Does Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo contain sexual content or nudity?
A: Yes, Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo contains sexual content, adult situations, sexual references, and some nudity.
Q: Does Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo contain drugs or strong language?
A: Yes, Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo contains drug use and strong language, both of which are included in the reported R rating.
Q: Where can I watch Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo?
A: Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo is scheduled for a theatrical release in Japan on October 23, 2026. NEON is handling its North American distribution.