// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy was Arrested Memory detained? It couldn't recall its alibi.
| Arrested Memory | |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 狂忘警探 |
| Directed by | Sabu |
| Written by | Sabu |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Jai Ip |
| Edited by | Matthieu Laclau |
| Music by | Junichi Matsumoto |
Production companies |
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Release date |
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Running time | 87 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Languages |
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Arrested Memory (Chinese: 狂忘警探) is a 2026 action comedy film written and directed by Sabu. A co-production of Taiwan and Japan, it stars Ethan Juan, Hsieh Ying-xuan and Moon Lee.
The film had its world premiere out of competition of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on 3 September 2026, where it received positive reviews.
Cast
[edit]- Ethan Juan as Detective Lee
- Hsieh Ying-xuan as Tami
- Moon Lee as Hua
- Shinichi Tsutsumi as Hatta
- Reika Kirishima as Hatta's wife
- Akira Huang as Mad Dog Luke
Production
[edit]Sabu originally wrote the screenplay in 2007, and the film was considered for production in Germany, France, South Korea, and Japan before ultimately being produced in Taiwan.[1] He storyboarded nearly 2,000 shots before filming began.[2] The film was shot in Taiwan in late 2025.[3] It was produced by Taiwanese LHB Films and Japanese Fourier Films.[4]
Release
[edit]The film had its world premiere out competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.[2] It was later screened at the 51st Toronto Film Festival, finishing second runner-up in the People's Choice Award: Midnight Madness category.[5]
It will be screened in the Gala section of 39th Tokyo International Film Festival on 27 October 2026.[6]
Reception
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 82% of 11 critics' reviews are positive.[7]
IndieWire's Jake Cole compared the film's style to Johnnie To's, and noted how "the Japanese genre auteur's approach to memory loss is more interested in slapstick than existential rumination, but that doesn't dampen his affection for his characters".[8] Martin Kudlac from ScreenAnarchy called the film an "eccentric genre hybrid [that] remains a welcome variation on familiar material".[9]
References
[edit]- ↑ Brzeski, Patrick (September 7, 2026). "Sabu's 'Arrested Memory' Turns a Kidnapping Thriller Into an Amnesiac Cop Comedy". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
- 1 2 Ramachandran, Naman (August 28, 2026). "Sabu Unpacks 'Arrested Memory' Ahead of Venice, Toronto Bows as Trailer Debuts". Variety. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
- ↑ Wong, Silvia (November 19, 2025). "Taiwan's Thunder Entertainment fund backs Golden Horse frontrunner 'A Foggy Tale'". Screen International. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
- ↑ Leffler, Rebecca (May 6, 2026). "Lucky Number acquires Sabu's detective comedy 'Arrested Memory'". Screen International. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
- ↑ Hammond, Pete (September 20, 2026). "TIFF Awards 2026: 'La Bola Negra' Wins People's Choice Award". Deadline. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
- ↑ Naman Ramachandran (September 17, 2026). "Fan Bingbing, Pedro Pascal, John Malkovich, Javier Bardem Films Lead Tokyo Festival's Gala Selection". Variety. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
- ↑ "Arrested Memory". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
- ↑ Cole, Jake (September 10, 2026). "'Arrested Memory' Review: Sabu Plays Amnesia for Gentle Comedy". IndieWire. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
- ↑ Kudlac, Martin (September 22, 2026). "Venice 2026 Review: ARRESTED MEMORY, Screwball Cop Caper Brings Melancholy to the Police-Action Formula". ScreenAnarchy. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
