Pro Bono

Hi to Shio(ja)

The Dangerous Slope(ja)

At a companywide meeting, Bunsaku Akiba sees Toshie, an old girlfriend who is now the secretary and lover of Nishijima, the chairman who has control over the entire group. Although Akiba is married, the love affair between him and Toshie flares up again. Akiba uses Toshie to approach the chairman, but as Toshie gets more possessive of him, Akiba starts to have murderous thoughts.

A House on a Hill(ja)

Rieko Sugita, a young and beautiful hairdresser who happens to visit a bedding shop owned by Yoshitaro (Emoto) and the latter becomes so besotted with her that they begin an affair without his wife's knowledge. On the other hand, Rieko hates her late mother (Fueki Yuko) for sleeping around with other men but is actually following in her footsteps by sleeping with men for money. One day, she reunites with her first love Naoki (Ozawa) who has become an assistant professor and shares a dark secret with her. Soon, the romance between them is rekindled. However, Yoshitaro who has lost his fortune and is about to lose Rieko, becomes consumed by jealousy which brings Rieko, Naoki and him to the point of no return. -- Dorama World

Ekiro(ja)

An employee of a bank goes missing following his retirement from the bank. Veteran detective Yobuno (Koji Yakusho), who is set to retire himself, is charged with the investigating the missing person case. Det. Yobuno quickly finds more mysterious as he delves into the case, but a woman named Keiko Fukumura (Eri Fukatsu) surfaces who may hold the key to case.

Shodo Kyouju(ja)

Kamikawa Katsuji, a bank employee, is married to Yasuko, the daughter of a rich family and lives an ordinary married life. But he keeps a lover, Kamiya Ayako, a nightclub hostess, behind his wife’s back and is mired in a web of lust. His life takes mysterious turns after becoming Katsumura Hisako’s disciple. The beautiful and elegant Hisako, a calligraphy instructor, possesses the special ability to tell the fortune of people by looking at their calligraphic styles.

Tsuyoki ari(ja)

Based on the novel "Tsuyoki Ari" by Seicho Matsumoto In her past, Isako Sawada ran a restaurant. She then met Nobuhiro who is 31 years older than her and an executive of a corporation. They eventually married. Nobuhiro owns a large mansion and his money is managed by housekeeper Saki Tsubaki. Isako Sawada doesn't like that arrangement, but she hides her contempt because she has a plan. Her plan is to become a widow in 3 years and inherit one billion yen from her husband. Isako Sawada schemes to have Nobuhiro die in an apparent natural manner and she is having a relationship with another man.

Zero Focus(ja)

Spurred by the disappearance of a newly-wed husband, three women in post-war Japan are drawn into a murder mystery.

Pro Bono(ja)

A young, mentally retarded boy is wrongfully accused of murder, but his family lacks the means to hire an attorney to defend him. The boy’s sister, Kiriko, pleads with an accomplished attorney named Otsuka to defend her brother pro bono. But because of Otsuka’s busy schedule and other priorities, he refuses to take the case. Lacking a proper defense, Kiriko’s brother is eventually convicted of murder, and dies in prison. From that point on, Kiriko is determined to take revenge against Otuska.

Late Night Shopper(en)

A shoplifter thinks all his dreams have come true when he enters a seemingly deserted supermarket. However, he soon discovers he is not alone and getting out becomes a matter of life and death.

The Dig(en)

A man helps a woman bury a dead body.

River's Edge(ja)

High schooler Haruna befriends loner Yamada, then is drawn into the tangled relationship between him, a model and the girl who loves him unreasonably.

Lie with Me(en)

Roselyn Tyler awakens in her London flat with no memory of the previous night. She discovers that she was drugged and sexually assaulted -- and her roommate is dead. When investigating cop Will Tomlinson can't make the charges stick against the prime suspect, he and Roselyn scheme to put him behind bars. But she soon learns that lies have hazardous consequences.

Kindachi Kosuke: The Queen Bee(ja)

The movie is part of the Kindaichi TV movie series. Kindaichi is played by actor Goro Inagaki. The character's grandfather began with the written word. Kousuke Kindaichi started life in the novels of Seishi Yokomizo, written and set in post-war Japan. Inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, Kindaichi is still very much a unique character, giving the Japanese their very own literary hero-detective. Young Hajime Kindaichi is a young man with bad dandruff and worse dress-sense (decades before Columbo), who wears a trademark, scruffy sunhat. He also happens to be better than the police at deductive reasoning. Having gained publicity for solving a high-profile murder case, the detectives allow him to work with them again. This story is slimmer than the twisty plots of Inugami and Village, but is graced by the presence of Chiaki Kuriyama (Battle Royale, Kill Bill Vol. 1, The Great Yokai War) in the title role.

Full House(fr)

Anthology film with three shorts each featuring a famous detective: Monsieur Wens, Lemmy Caution and Maigret.

The Waiter(en)

A man travels through corporate corruption and his own sin to find his soul.

Augenzeugen müssen blind sein(de)

The Dark Side of Dhaka(bn)

Five individual stories are connected to each other in the basis of their nature. Actually the Dark Side of the capital Dhaka, has been sketched throughout the film. What happens over our eyes in the dark of the night.

Stark: Mirror Image(en)

Sequel to the original movie about a hard-boiled Kansas City cop finds him tracking a colleague's killer to Las Vegas.

Jane Street(en)

Life for the young and beautiful Kim becomes unbearable. Her boss, Marshall, helped to find her apartment... where the previous tenant was killed. Kim begins to suspect Marshall may be the murderer.

Nagai Nagai Satsujin(ja)

A man’s body is found in the suburbs of Tokyo. The dead man was hit by a car and his head beaten by the reckless driver after the accident. The dead man had a wife named Noriko. She likes fancy things and she has a lover named Tsukada. It's also learned that the dead man was insured for 300 million yen. The media and the public look at Noriko and her boyfriend Tsukada with suspicion, but they have perfect alibis. Then, Detective Hibiki, who is in charge of the case, and Private Detective Kono become involved in a series of mysterious murder cases.

Garage Sale Mystery(en)

Jennifer Shannon can always find a diamond in the rough, when it comes to garage sales, that is. Whether it's a new antique to sell at her consignment shop, an Atari game for her son or a piece of furniture for her handy husband Jason to refurbish, she has made a career out of her treasure hunting prowess. When a string of burglaries hits her town, Jennifer's keen eye for detail and her natural problem solving instincts even help her see the connection between these burglaries and local garage sales! Jennifer works with Detective Adam Iverson to investigate her theory that the perpetrators of the burglaries are fellow garage sale regulars. The case escalates to dangerous levels when Jennifer discovers the dead body of her friend. Even though the deceased's husband, Ben Douglas, finds nothing missing in their house, and the police label the death as accidental, Jennifer suspects that the death may be related to the burglaries.

The Wings of the Kirin(ja)

A man's body is found under the statue of a winged kirin in the Nihombashi area of Tokyo. A suspect named Yashima has a car accident and falls unconscious while he is attempting to run away. Yashima's lover Kaori comes from Fukushima and tells detectives that he is absolutely not a criminal. Meanwhile, Detective Kyoichiro Kaga's (Hiroshi Abe) investigates and uncovers a point of contact between the dead body and Yashima. A hidden fact of the victim is revealed which even his children did not know about...

Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Heist and Seek(en)

When a priceless crown is stolen during a benefit gala held by the Lawrenceton library, Aurora and the Real Murders Club must investigate who would kill to get their hands on it.

A Bone to Pick: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery(en)

A librarian with a sharp mind for murder, Aurora Teagarden is known around her small town as a master sleuth. When her friend Jane unexpectedly dies and leaves Aurora everything in her will, she also leaves a troubling murder mystery haunting her neighborhood. It is up to Aurora to piece together the clues—including a skull, its missing skeleton and a suspicious group of neighbors—and solve the murder before she becomes the unlikely killer’s next victim.

Mystery 101(en)

When a college student is found dead, English professor Amy uses her crime fiction expertise to unravel the case faster than detective Travis, who ends up working with Amy to catch the killer.

Crossword Mysteries: Abracadaver(en)

During her birthday celebration, Tess and Logan find themselves swept up in a world that isn't always what it seems when the headlining magician at the Magic Manor winds up dead.

Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Reunited and It Feels So Deadly(en)

Aurora's high school reunion turns deadly when a body is found in the hotel pool. Aurora and her Real Murders Club help investigate which classmate was most likely to kill.

Flower Shop Mystery: Mum's the Word(en)

Abby Knight, a former lawyer turned proud flower shop owner is starting over after the death of her husband with the support from her father, a new business and her daughter off to college. Life is good in the peaceful town of New Chapel but when a black SUV rams her prized vintage car, she’s determined to track down the driver. She begrudgingly accepts the help of a new neighbor, the handsome and charming ex-Marine Marco Salvare who just bought the bar down the street.

Murder, She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery(en)

A young bakeshop owner’s holiday season takes a surprising turn when she finds a body at a local Christmas tree lot and winds up involved in a dangerous murder investigation. With colorful characters popping up as suspects, shady business practices uncovered at the tree lot and holiday romance in the air, the young baker-turned-sleuth must race against time to track down the killer and save the Christmas season.

Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy(en)

Based on the events surrounding the murder of British student Meredith Kercher. Hayden Panettiere (Heroes) and Marcia Gay Harden (Academy Award winner for Pollock) star in the Lifetime Original Movie Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy based on the international headline-grabbing story of the now infamous American exchange student accused by Italian authorities of brutally killing her roommate. Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy poses the question of whether Knox (Panettiere), the Seattle honors student accused of murdering her college roommate Meredith Kercher (Amanda Fernando Stevens) in 2007 with her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito (Paolo Romio) and acquaintance Rudy Guede (Djirbi Kebe), actually committed the crime or was herself a victim.

Last Scene Alive: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery(en)

There is excitement in the air when a Hollywood crew comes to Lawrenceton to film a movie about the town’s sleuthy librarian, Aurora Teagarden. However, when the film’s leading lady is found murdered in her dressing room, Aurora enlists her Real Murders Club members to help gather clues. At the same time, she experiences mounting concern that Aida is becoming attracted to the film’s director who, like everyone else working on the set that day, is considered a suspect. And this time around Martin is especially worried about Aurora’s safety after learning that the film’s screenwriter, who has a romantic history with her, emerges as the prime suspect.

Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise(en)

Police Chief Jesse Stone now presides over the quiet, seaside village of Paradise, Massachusetts. When the facts don't add up in a brutal Boston-area murder case, Jesse opens an investigation filled with surprises, unlikely suspects and grave danger. Though it's widely believed the murder was committed by an incarcerated serial killer, Jesse suspects another killer is at large and is hell-bent on bringing him to justice.

Miss Marple: The Murder at the Vicarage(en)

Faced with two false confessions and numerous suspects after a despised civil magistrate is found shot in the local vicarage, Detective Inspector Slack reluctantly accepts help from Miss Marple.

Past Malice: An Emma Fielding Mystery(en)

Archaeologist Emma Fielding is hired to consult on the acquisition of a castle-like estate that local legend states is cursed. But she finds herself in the middle of a murder case after discovering the body of the archaeologist she was hired to shadow in a secret chamber in the bowels of the huge building. Assisted by her friend, FBI special agent Jim Conner, Fielding must sift through clues and a long list of suspects, each of whom has their own reason for wanting the man dead, to determine who is the killer.

Flower Shop Mystery: Snipped in the Bud(en)

Former attorney-turned-small-town-florist, Abby Knight, has a nose for sleuthing, quickly embroiled in a murder investigation, grateful for the help when she teams with retired private eye, Marco Salvare, who now owns a local bar and grill.

Murder, She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery(en)

Based on the New York Times bestselling book, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke, the film will take viewers on a mouthwatering mystery that centers on Hannah Swensen, shop owner of the Cookie Jar where much of the town's gossip percolates along with the strong coffee. But when a mysterious murder occurs, Hannah turns into a culinary detective and finds herself trying to solve the crime while getting caught in an unexpected romantic mystery of her own.

Framed for Murder: A Fixer Upper Mystery(en)

In the small resort town of Lighthouse Cove, everyone knows that the best man for the job is a woman. And that woman is Shannon Hughes, owner of a construction company and an expert in Victorian home restoration and renovation. Through her renovations she will find clues to uncover the house’s secret past and in turn become an unlikely sleuth to help crack these unsolved mysteries

Dead Man's Folly(en)

During a murder hunt game at a country house, to which Hercule Poirot is invited as an "expert", a real murder occurs.

Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: An Inheritance to Die For(en)

A matriarch is poisoned during a family wedding reception and Aurora Teagarden vows to get to the bottom of the crime, especially when her mother, a friend of the dead woman, stands to inherit the bulk of the massive estate. 11th installment in Aurora Teagarden Mysteries.

Crossword Mysteries: Proposing Murder(en)

When an old friend of New York Sentinel Crosswords editor Tess Harper is found murdered on the very day her puzzle includes his proposal of marriage, Tess unofficially teams up with Detective Logan O’Connor to find the killer.