AWAKE (2022): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2022, AWAKE is a drama film directed by Atsuhiro Yamada, running about 119 minutes.

What it’s about. Eiichi wanted to become a top shogi player and attended a shogi player training center run by the Japan Shogi Association. At the training center, he could not beat Riku, who is extremely talented in the game, and Eiichi eventually gave up on becoming a shogi player. To live a more normal life, he enrolled in a university. Because he spent most of his time playing shogi, he has a hard time adjusting to campus life. He does not have any friends at school. One day, Eiichi comes across an AI based shogi computer program. The computer program is more creative and stronger than he expected. This piques Eiichi interest in computer programming, specifically for shogi games. He visits an AI research club and meets senior student Isono. He learns about computer programming from Isono and makes a new goal for himself. Eicchi now wants to write a top shogi computer program. A few years later, Eiichi wins a computer shogi competition. He receives a request to play against Riku.

Who’s in it. AWAKE stars Ryo Yoshizawa as Kiyota Eiichi, Ryuya Wakaba as Asakawa Riku, Motoki Ochiai as Isono Tatsuya and Kanichiro Sato as Nakajima Toru, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.0/10, AWAKE 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 AWAKE page.

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