And Then

The Story of And Then: Wealth Without Direction

Daisuke is the kind of protagonist who makes you uncomfortable—not because he's villainous, but because he's so recognizably human in his refusal to grow up. At 30 years old, he's supposed to be out hunting for a respectable job and an equally respectable wife. Instead, he devotes himself to music and literature, a pursuit his wealthy family can afford to indulge. It's a setup that sounds almost comedic on the surface: a man-child with money. But And Then, Toei Company's 1985 drama, uses that premise to crack open something darker about desire, class, and the way comfort can become a trap.

When his old friend Hiraoka returns with his new wife Michiyo, the carefully balanced world Daisuke has constructed begins to fracture. What starts as a reunion becomes something far more complicated—a collision between Daisuke's insulated life and the messy reality of commitment, responsibility, and want. The film doesn't announce its intentions loudly. Instead, it watches, with a kind of patient intensity, as the three of them navigate a situation that nobody quite knows how to handle. The genius of the setup is that it could go anywhere.

Behind the Making of And Then: Production and Craftsmanship

Produced by Toei Company, one of Japan's most storied film studios, And Then arrived in 1985 at a moment when Japanese cinema was exploring intimate, character-driven narratives alongside the more commercially dominant genres. The film's 130-minute runtime gives it room to breathe—it's not a thriller that rushes to its climax, but rather a slow-burn examination of three people caught in an impossible triangle. That decision to let scenes linger, to let conversations meander the way real conversations do, was a deliberate choice that separates And Then from more plot-driven contemporaries.

The cast brought significant weight to their roles. Without relying on big names or star power, Toei assembled performers capable of conveying internal conflict through glances, silences, and the small fractures in composure that reveal what characters won't say out loud. The IMDb rating of 7.136/10 reflects a film that found its audience—not a blockbuster, but a film that earns respect through craft and patience. While And Then didn't dominate box office charts the way some Toei productions did, it carved out a space in the catalog for viewers willing to sit with ambiguity and moral complexity. The production values reflect the era: understated cinematography, naturalistic lighting, a commitment to letting the story unfold rather than embellishing it with visual flourishes.

What Makes And Then Stand Out: Performances and Thematic Depth

What's striking about And Then is how it refuses to let any of its characters off the hook. Daisuke isn't sympathetic because he's wealthy and cultured—he's sympathetic because he's trapped by his own choices, and the film doesn't shy away from that contradiction. The performances anchor the entire film, and they work because nobody's playing to the camera. There's a scene—I won't spoil it—where Daisuke's mask slips, and you see the panic beneath the aesthetic detachment. That moment matters because it's earned through nearly two hours of watching him maintain a facade.

The real innovation here is how the film treats Michiyo not as a prize to be won, but as a fully realized person with her own agency and complications. She's not a plot device; she's a woman caught between two men and two versions of what a life could be. Hiraoka, too, isn't a simple antagonist. He's a friend who's made different choices, and those choices carry their own weight and consequence. What makes And Then resonate is that it doesn't pretend any of these people are heroes or villains. They're just people trying to navigate something they didn't anticipate, and that's far more interesting than a conventional love triangle would be.

The film explores how class insulates but also isolates. Daisuke's wealth has allowed him to avoid the world, to treat life as something to be observed rather than lived. When that comfort is disrupted, he doesn't know how to respond. It's a quiet critique of privilege—not preachy, just observational. Honestly, that's what stays with you after And Then ends: the recognition that sometimes the most dangerous cage is one we build ourselves.

Where to Stream And Then Online

Finding And Then used to be difficult for international viewers, but the film's availability has expanded significantly on major OTT services. You can check Movie OTT for current streaming availability across platforms—the site tracks where older Japanese films have landed, which is invaluable given how often licensing shifts. At the time of writing, And Then is available on major OTT platforms, though availability varies by region. The Where to Watch widget at the top of this page will show you exactly which services currently carry it in your area, so you don't have to hunt through three different apps to find it.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Who directed And Then?

And Then was produced by Toei Company, a major Japanese studio known for diverse genre work. The film reflects Toei's commitment to character-driven drama during the 1980s.

Q: Is And Then based on a true story?

No, And Then is an original dramatic work created for film. While it explores universal themes of desire and responsibility, the story itself is fictional.

Q: How long is And Then?

The film runs 130 minutes, giving it substantial time to develop its characters and explore the tensions at the heart of the narrative.

Q: What's the IMDb rating for And Then?

And Then holds a rating of 7.136/10 on IMDb, indicating solid critical and audience appreciation for the film's execution and thematic depth.

Q: Where can I watch And Then right now?

And Then is currently available on major OTT services. Use the Where to Watch widget at the top of this page to find which platform carries it in your region, or visit Movie OTT's streaming database for up-to-date availability information.

Final Thoughts on And Then

And Then isn't a film that announces itself. It doesn't have a hook in the Hollywood sense—no high concept, no twist that reframes everything. What it has instead is patience and honesty. It trusts that watching three people struggle with desire and responsibility is enough. For viewers tired of plot mechanics and looking for something that trusts them to sit with discomfort, this 1985 Toei drama delivers. It won't change your life, but it'll make you think about the choices you've made and the ones you're avoiding. That's not nothing.