The Inugami Family (1976) (Limited Edition) [Blu-Ray]

Director: Kon Ichikawa

Cast: Koji Ishizaka, Yoko Shimada, Teruhiko Aoi

Release Date: September 15, 2026

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Release Rating: 9/10

Synopsis:

When the wealthy patriarch of the Inugami dynasty dies, he leaves his fortune to Tamayo (Yoko Shimada, Shogun), a young woman from outside the family. There is one condition: she must marry one of his grandsons. As the family gather in the stately mansion to discuss the situation, grisly murders occur. Detective Kosuke Kindaichi arrives to investigate the case and uncovers the secret history of the family’s bloodline.

Directed by Kon Ichikawa (Ten Women in Black, Fires on the Plain), this murder mystery was a massive hit in Japan that profoundly changed the Japanese film industry. Infused with a gothic atmosphere and featuring several now-iconic scenes, The Inugami Family has rarely been seen outside its home country, making it one of Japanese cinema’s best-kept secrets.

‘The Inugami Family’ follows a clash of family members when the wealthy patriarch of the Inugami dynasty dies and leaves his fortune to a non-family member under the condition that she marry one of his grandsons. Leaving loopholes for the family’s wealth to pass on to others should select individuals die, it soon results in a series of mysterious deaths throughout the family with every member a suspect. Unbeknownst to the family, Detective Kosuke Kindaichi was hired to look into matters and soon begins to investigate the murders when retained by local law enforcement in the hope that he can uncover the culprit before more bodies fall.

Directed by Kon Ichikawa from a screenplay written by Norio Nagata & Shin’ya Hidaka & Kon Ichikawa, from the novel “The Inugami Curse” by Seishi Yokomizo, Kon Ichikawa does a great job guiding along ‘The Inugami Family’ and weaving a web of uncertainty filled with unique characters. The film’s cast includes Koji Ishizaka, Yoko Shimada, Teruhiko Aoi, Mieko Takamine, Mitsuko Kusabue, and more, with most offering capable and solid performances in their roles that contribute nicely to the tale and its mystery throughout.

‘The Inugami Family’ was originally released in Japan back in 1976 yet has curiously rarely been seen in America, with this Limited Edition Blu-ray from Radiance marking its domestic Blu-ray debut. It’s a well-crafted, dark and enthralling tale of a wealthy family turning on each other in an attempt to thwart a questionable will by their family patriarch following his death that leads to clashes, arguments and death once things get out of hand.

I must admit I was entirely unfamiliar with the film when I jumped into it and I was thoroughly impressed with just how enjoyable and twisty of a tale it serves up, and I was also pleasantly surprised to discover that it kicked off a series of detective stories featuring Detective Kosuke Kindaichi who makes one very interesting and unlikely sort of investigator that only makes things all the more interesting once you begin to discover just how clever and thoughtful he is despite many hints otherwise. Being unfamiliar with the film I couldn’t help but see many similarities to ‘Knives Out’ and while ‘The Inugami Family’ certainly precedes it by multiple decades and goes to darker territory with more murders along the way, the vibe of the detective story and the clashing family is familiar and for those who enjoy similar whodunits, this one might be very much worth giving a shot if you’re unfamiliar with it like I was.

Kon Ichikawa’s 1976 gem ‘The Inugami Family’ arrives home on Blu-ray in the US for the first time ever courtesy of Radiance Films fifty years after it made its debut in Japan. The Radiance Films Blu-ray release (which is limited to 3000 copies) features a truly stunning full High Definition presentation that was gorgeously restored and returned to its intended Aspect Ratio and while I of course hadn’t seen the film prior to this release, it’s hard to imagine it looking any better than it does here. The stellar video presentation is perfectly paired with a lossless DTS-HD MA mono soundtrack that sounds awfully good itself and the release is also packed with a nice collection of bonus material that will keep fans entertained even after finishing the film. If you’re a fan who has seen the film prior or one that’s certain you want it in your collection regardless, then this US Blu-ray debut of ‘The Inugami Family’ shouldn’t disappoint and is highly recommended.

VIDEO:

The Blu-ray release of ‘The Inugami Family’ features a full 1080p High Definition presentation with the film’s intended 1.50:1 Aspect Ratio from a 4K restoration by Kadokawa Pictures. The video presentation looks outstanding and it offers a sharp, clean and gorgeously detailed presentation from start to finish that’s also largely absent of any imperfections after the impressive restoration. Detail is tremendous throughout and everything from the interiors of the family home to the sprawling outdoor views and character specifics look terrific, with fitting colors and rich, problem free black levels to further complement it. Overall, this is a wonderful High Definition presentation that should easily excite any fans along with first time viewers.

AUDIO:

The Blu-ray release includes a 1.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack in the original Japanese language with English subtitles. This lossless mono soundtrack is pretty fantastic as well and it provides a clean, sharp and well-balanced audio presentation that sounds better than many might expect. It capably shares the channel and ensures that all dialogue, music and effects work together and never result in any audio elements contradicting or negatively impacting any others. There are a few minor occurrences of a hum or other brief noise present but they are few and far between and never last for more than a moment or two. Overall, this is a very nice DTS-HD MA mono soundtrack that holds up well and shouldn’t disappoint.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The Blu-ray release of ‘The Inugami Family’ features some notable extras that fans of the film should appreciate. Included on the release is the newly recorded Interview ‘Aaron Gerow on The Inugami Family’ (running approximately 23 minutes in length), along with the archival documentary ‘Secrets of Kon Ichikawa’s Visual Style’ (running approximately 44 minutes) and ‘Outtakes from Secrets of Kon Ichikawa’s Visual Style’ (approximately 8 minutes). Also included is ‘Verification: How The Inugami Family Was Made’ (approximately 30 minutes), ‘The Birth of Kosuke Kindaichi’ (16 minutes), ‘The Path of the 4K Digital Restoration’ (11 minutes) and the ‘Theatrical Trailer’ (2 minutes) and ‘Teaser Trailer’ (1 minute) for the film.

In addition to the on-disc supplements, the release also includes a nice, full-color limited edition booklet with new writings and details on the cast and crew and film transfer. Reversible artwork is also included for the Blu-ray cover.

*Please note that the above images are taken from the Blu-Ray and resized. They will additionally suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on this Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.

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Release Rating: 9/10

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‘The Inugami Family’ is Now Available to Own on Limited Edition Blu-ray from Radiance Films

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You can purchase ‘The Inugami Family’ on Blu-ray at Amazon HERE!

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