AllMovie

A meek man is forced into the schemes of a murderer in this dark fusion of horror and comedy from director Sion Sono. Shamoto (Mitsuru Kukikoshi) is the nerdy proprietor of a store dealing in tropical fish. Shamoto's home life isn't especially happy -- his second wife, Taeko (Megumi Kagurazaka), has a sharp tongue and an eye for other men, while his teenage daughter, Mitsuko (Hikari Kajiwara), has little use for either of them. One night, Mitsuko is picked up for shoplifting at a supermarket, but another customer, Murata (Denden), unexpectedly steps in to help. Murata, who owns a much larger fish store, offers to give Mitsuko a job, and Shamoto is grateful for his help. However, before long Mitsuko is literally living in Murata's store, and Shamoto suspects his new friend is not as benevolent as he first thought -- a notion confirmed when Murata and his wife, Aiko (Asuka Kurosawa), trick Shamoto into cleaning up the scene of a murder they've just committed. Loosely inspired by a true story, Tsumetai Nettaigyo (aka Cold Fish) received its North American premiere at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.