Master filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa (PULSE, CURE, TOKYO SONATA) won the Silver Lion (Best Director) at the Venice Film Festival for this riveting, gorgeously crafted, old-school Hitchockian thriller shot in stunning 8K.

The year is 1940 in Kobe, on the eve of the outbreak of World War II. Local merchant and amateur filmmaker Yusaku (Issey Takahashi, KILL BILL) senses that things are headed in an unsettling direction. Following a trip to Manchuria, he becomes determined to bring to light the things he witnessed there, and secretly filmed. Meanwhile, his wife Satoko (Japan Society’s 2021 Honoree Yû Aoi) receives a visit from her childhood friend, now a military policeman. He warns her about Yusaku’s seditious ways and reveals that a woman her husband brought back from his trip has died. Satoko confronts Yusaku, but when she discovers his true intentions, she is torn between loyalty to her husband, the life they have built, and the country they call home.

“With “Wife of a Spy,” a melodramatic wartime period piece, prolific Japanese horror director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, known for balancing psychological thrills with introspective meditations, is discovering a different, more mysterious ground.” (LA Times)

“‘Wife of a Spy’ takes time getting going, but it is immaculately turned, from its superb acting and exquisite cinematography to its finely-tooled plotting.” (NPR)

“‘Wife of a Spy’ is something like linear narrative perfection, with every scene perfectly calibrated.” (New York Times)

Sunday, November 7
Doors 7:50 pm | Movie 8:10 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Advance tickets $15 HERE | $15 at the door

Saturday, November 13
Doors 5:30 pm | Movie 6:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Advance tickets $15 HERE | $15 at the door

Advance tickets are recommended for all shows to ensure seating. Online sales for every screening automatically end 1 hour before any given showtime.

*Minors permitted in the balcony. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service and main floor seating.
*In accordance with the Province of British Columbia’s current PHO from the Ministry of Health, all eligible patrons must present their proof of vaccine status for entry. No exceptions
*Rio Theatre Groupons and passes OK for any single film screening only. Please redeem at the box office.
*If you are looking to redeem your tickets to either a canceled Rio Theatre screening or a Rio Theatre gift certificate, please email <[email protected]> with info including your name, canceled receipt number, gift certificate info, what you are wanting to see and when, and we can make the switch for you in advance. Alternately, you can bring this information with you to the venue, and we will do our best to help you at the box office.

WIFE OF A SPY (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2020 / 115 mins / 18A / Japanese with English Subtitles) In the 1940s, a Japanese merchant leaves his wife behind in order to travel to Manchuria, where he witnesses an act of barbarism.