The 8-Year Engagement (2017): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2017, The 8-Year Engagement is a drama and romance film directed by Takahisa Zeze, running about 119 minutes.

What it’s about. Hisashi and Mai are a happy couple in their 20s who are engaged to be married. But three months before their wedding, Mai becomes seriously ill. Her heart stops momentarily, and she falls into a deep coma. Hisashi visits Mai at the hospital every day before work. With no idea if or when she will ever awake, Mai’s parents encourage Hisashi to find someone else, but he refuses to give up and continues to pray for her recovery. As if his prayers are answered, Mai begins to regain consciousness several years later, and even utters a few words. But tragically, she has suffered brain damage and has no memory of Hisashi.

Who’s in it. The 8-Year Engagement stars Takeru Satoh as Hisashi, Tao Tsuchiya as Mai Nakahara, Hiroko Yakushimaru as Hatsumi Nakahara and Tetta Sugimoto as Koji Nakahara, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.7/10, The 8-Year Engagement has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The 8-Year Engagement page.

If you liked it. Fans of The 8-Year Engagement tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.