The Contestant

Sep 8, 2023

1h 31m

★ 6.9

The naked truth about the world's first reality star.

Overview

The incredible true story of a man who lived for 15 months trapped inside a small room, naked, starving and alone... and completely unaware that his life was being broadcast on national TV in Japan, to over 15 million viewers a week.

Genres

Documentary

Production Companies

Misfits Entertainment

MRC

The Contestant Trailers

Cast

Self

Nasubi

Self

Toshio Tsuchiya

Self

Kazuko Hamatsu

Self

Seiichi Hirai

Self

Harutaro Kagawa

Self

Juliet Hindell

Self

Ikuyo Hamatsu

Self

Jun Anzai

Self

Kenji Kondo

Denpa Shonen Narrator (voice)

Fred Armisen

Nasubi's Diary (voice)

Takehiro Hira

In December 2021, Hideki Kuriyama began devoting his days to one singular goal: hoisting the championship trophy at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. How did he mold his players into one of the best and strongest Samurai Japan teams in history? A close-up documentary that looks back on Samurai Japan's path to becoming world champions, along with valuable behind-the-scenes footage captured by the team's dedicated crew.

7.2

The Essential Church

Jul 28, 2023

When governments use Covid emergency act edicts to restrict the gathering and worship of the Church, three pastors facing the risk of imprisonment, unlimited fines, and their own Churches splitting apart take a courageous stand and re-open in the face of a world that has chosen to comply.

0.0

The Mysterious Murder of Ann Heron

May 3, 2022

The case of Ann Heron, a British woman who was murdered on 3 August 1990 at her home in Darlington, County Durham, by an unidentified killer.

0.0

How to Catch a Cat Killer

Jun 8, 2022

This documentary tells the story of how sleuthing cat owners in Brighton came together to catch an unknown killer who was preying on much-loved pets across the South Coast.

0.0

Fighting Spirit: Fishmans

May 29, 2022

A documentary film chronicling the rehearsal, preparation and performance of a Fishmans concert performed on February 19, 2019 @Zepp Tokyo.

5.5

Morning Light

Mar 12, 2008

Fifteen young sailors... six months of intense training... one chance at the brass ring. This documentary tells the story of a group of intrepid and determined young men and women, on the cusp of adulthood, as they embark on life's first great adventure. Racing a high-performance 52-foot sloop the crew of "Morning Light" matches wits and skills in a dramatic 2300 mile showdown.

8.0

Japon, un nouveau monde sauvage

Jun 8, 2023

No overview available.

6.7

Stolen: Heist of the Century

Aug 7, 2025

Antwerp, 2003. A gang of thieves rob the impenetrable Diamond Center. Who was behind one of the world's biggest heists - and how did they pull it off?

6.9

The Endurance

Sep 2, 2000

Documentary on the Shackleton Antartic expedition. A retelling of Sir Ernest Shackleton's ill-fated expedition to Antarctica in and the crew of his vessel 'The Endurance', which was trapped in the ice floes and frigid open ocean of the Antarctic in 1914. Shackleton decided, with many of his crew injured and weak from exposure and starvation, to take a team of his fittest men and attempt to find help. Setting out in appalling conditions with hopelessly inadequate equipment, they endured all weather and terrain and finally reached safety. Persuading a local team of his confidence that the abandoned team would still be alive, he set out again to find them. After almost 2 years trapped on the ice, all members of the crew were finally rescued.

8.0

Kampai! Sake Sisters

Aug 16, 2019

Sake is a traditional alcoholic beverage from Japan and is otherwise known as rice wine. Women were prohibited from entering the many large and small sake breweries dotting Japan for centuries. However, times have changed and women are present on the sake scene today. In several cases, they are integral to the Japanese brewery business. The documentary depicts women who are not only enthusiasts, but also leaving their marks on the evolution of this Japanese mainstay.

7.5

The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee

Aug 9, 2024

Aristocratic Italian roots, a close family connection to James Bond novelist Ian Fleming, wartime experiences in the British and Finnish military, post-war Nazi-hunting adventures and a side career as a heavy metal rock singer. And one of the most iconic actors of all time.

4.2

Naked Rose

Apr 24, 2013

Among the millions of victims of the Nazi madness during the Second World War, Pierre Seel was charged with homosexuality and imprisoned in the Schirmeck concentration camp. He survived this terrifying experience of torture and humiliation, and after the war he married, had three children, and tried to live a normal life. In 1982, however, he came to terms with his past and his true nature and decided to publicly reveal what he and thousands of other homosexuals branded with the Pink Triangle had undergone during the Nazi regime. Il Rosa Nudo (Naked Rose), inspired by the true story of Pierre Seel, depicts in a theatrical and evocative way the Homocaust, focusing on the scientific theories of SS Physician Carl Peter Værnet for the treatment of homosexuality, which paved the way for the Nazi persecution of gay men.

No Image Available

9.0

The People and Their Emperor

Oct 5, 2019

Japan's Imperial system is said to have over 2,000 years of history. A closer look at the history reveals how the Imperial institution has shifted with the times, and with the people. At a time when there are only three heirs to the throne, a look is taken at what this could mean for the people of Japan and their Imperial system.

7.5

One of One

Sep 1, 2025

Founded in Tokyo in the aftermath of WWII, Naito Auto Engineering is a three-generation family business, renown for restoring high-value classic cars with artistry and precision. Masao Naito, with his bold vision and rebellious spirit, took his father's local mechanic shop and turned it into a first-class company, whose services are coveted by top auto collectors the world over. For over 40 years, Masao has ruled the family business with an iron fist. Now, with his retirement on the horizon, cracks are beginning to show. Do the younger Naitos have what it takes to keep the family together, and carry the business forward?

7.3

The Menendez Brothers

Oct 7, 2024

Serving life in prison for murdering their parents, Lyle and Erik Menendez speak out in this documentary explaining the shocking crime and ensuing trials.

6.0

Pelican: 74 Years of Japanese Tradition

Sep 20, 2019

Pelican, a bakery located at Asakusa, Tokyo, becomes crowded every morning. There are only two types of bread sold. It looks ordinary but meet a bakery that has been loved for 74 years with a taste you won't get tired of even if you eat it everyday!

1.0

Dream Girls

Aug 17, 1994

This film is about Japanese women, escape, glamour and dreams. The Takarazuka Revue is an enormously successful spectacular where the all-women cast create fantasies of erotic love and sensitive men. It is also a world for young girls desperate to do something different with their lives. In return for living a highly disciplined and reclusive existence, they will be adored and envied by many thousands of Japanese women. They will look, act and behave like young men while having no real men in their lives. Dream Girls explores the nature of sexual identity and the contradictory tensions that face young women in Japan today.

0.0

Hidden Japan

Mar 23, 2020

The culture of Japan is incredible, from bloom festivals to ultra-modern cities. But there are also more than 130 mammals and 600 bird species dwelling in Japan’s 6852 islands. This island chain is long enough to span climate zones, providing a huge range of habitat.

0.0

Reiwa Uprising

Nov 2, 2019

Kazuo Hara follows Ayumi Yasutomi, a transgender candidate, who is also a Tokyo University professor, as she embarks on a national campaign for a seat in Japan's Upper House.