Masami Nagasawa's Masterpiece: "Mother" (2020)

The film "Mother" is an adaptation of the "Kawaguchi Elderly Couple Murder Case," a real-life incestuous crime that shocked Japan in 2014. Masami Nagasawa plays the irresponsible mother, Akiko Misumi, who became a single mother at a young age. She spends her days idly with her son, Shuhei, scamming people for money and indulging in physical relationships with multiple men. Shuhei never had a normal life growing up; he was instigated by his mother to borrow money, abused by his stepfather, and lived a life of hardship without a stable home. He was constantly on the verge of breaking the law, with no future in sight. The plot was so heavy and dark that Masami Nagasawa herself sighed, admitting she couldn't sympathize with Akiko's character.