Public Telephone (film)

Public Telephone (also known as The Public Telephone or Kooyo Denwa) is a 1980 Japanese suspense film directed by Toshiharu Ikeda. The film stars Ken Takakura as Detective Shūhei Mihara, who investigates a series of murders connected to phone booths throughout Tokyo. The victims, seemingly unconnected, are all found dead after receiving a phone call in a public telephone.

The plot revolves around Mihara's relentless pursuit of the killer, exploring themes of urban isolation, technological alienation, and the psychological impact of violence. The film is noted for its gritty realism, its atmospheric depiction of Tokyo at night, and Takakura's stoic and determined performance. It is considered a significant work in the genre of Japanese crime films of the era, blending elements of police procedural with psychological thriller. The film's use of the public telephone as a central plot device reflects the significance of this technology in pre-mobile phone communication and its vulnerability to criminal exploitation.