# High & Low The Movie (HiGH&LOW THE MOVIE)
**HiGH&LOW THE MOVIE** (ハイアンドロー) is a 2016 Japanese action film and the first theatrical feature of the HiGH&LOW franchise, a multimedia project built around the EXILE TRIBE entertainment group that spans dramas, movies, music, live performances, and comics. It was released in Japanese theaters on July 14, 2016, runs 129 minutes, and was directed by Shigeaki Kubo.[1](https://www.ntv.co.jp/english/pc/2016/12/high-low.html) The story brings the rival street gangs of the fictional SWORD district into a single large-scale conflict when a legendary former gang leader returns and attacks the district.[2](https://www.shochiku.co.jp/cinema/lineup/highlow-the-movie/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Japanese theatrical release | July 14, 2016[1](https://www.ntv.co.jp/english/pc/2016/12/high-low.html) |
| Running time | 129 minutes[1](https://www.ntv.co.jp/english/pc/2016/12/high-low.html) |
| Director / screenplay | Directed by Shigeaki Kubo; screenplay by Kei Watanabe, Norihisa Hiranuma, and Team HI-AX[1](https://www.ntv.co.jp/english/pc/2016/12/high-low.html) • [2](https://www.shochiku.co.jp/cinema/lineup/highlow-the-movie/) |
| Premise | The five gangs of the SWORD district unite against a 500-member strong attack led by a legendary gang leader[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/high_and_low_the_movie) |
| Lead cast | AKIRA (EXILE) as Kohaku of Mugen; TAKAHIRO (EXILE) among the Amamiya brothers; V.I (from BIGBANG) as Lee[2](https://www.shochiku.co.jp/cinema/lineup/highlow-the-movie/) |
| Franchise position | First theatrical film, preceded by the ROAD TO HiGH&LOW prequel compilation and followed by two sequels in 2017[4](https://ciatr.jp/topics/291065) • [1](https://www.ntv.co.jp/english/pc/2016/12/high-low.html) |
| Streaming | Streaming release on September 24, 2020[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/high_and_low_the_movie) |
## Spoilers
### Franchise context
HiGH&LOW began in 2015 as a comprehensive entertainment project centered on EXILE TRIBE, with EXILE HIRO as the comprehensive producer of the whole franchise. It consists of dramas, movies, music, live tours, games, manga, and other media set in a shared fictional universe.[5](https://exile-tribe.fandom.com/wiki/HiGH%26LOW) LDH, the company behind the project, states that the series as a whole has been viewed by a total of 6.21 million people in theaters and has earned 8.9 billion yen at the box office.[6](https://www.ldh.co.jp/chh/news/detail.php?lang=eng&newsid=0000054740&site=LDH)
The film follows two seasons of the television drama *HiGH&LOW: The Story of S.W.O.R.D.* and the compilation film *ROAD TO HiGH&LOW*, which received a limited two-week theatrical release from May 7, 2016 as a prequel to THE MOVIE.[4](https://ciatr.jp/topics/291065) Nippon TV's synopsis sets the background: the streets were once ruled by the group Mugen, matched only by the Amamiya brothers, until a sudden incident during one of their fights broke Mugen apart and both Mugen and the brothers disappeared, leaving five new groups wrestling for control.[1](https://www.ntv.co.jp/english/pc/2016/12/high-low.html)
### Plot
The story is set in the SWORD district, a name taken from the initials of the five teams that hold the area in balance: Sannou Rengokai (山王連合会), White Rascals, Oya Koukou (鬼邪高校), RUDE BOYS, and Daruma Ikka (達磨一家). The plot begins when a legendary man returns to the district: Kohaku (琥珀), played by AKIRA, the leader of Mugen (ムゲン), the team that once dominated the whole area. After a tragedy involving 龍也 (Arata Iura) and Tsukumo (九十九, Sho Aoyagi), he had vanished from the public stage.[2](https://www.shochiku.co.jp/cinema/lineup/highlow-the-movie/)
Kohaku allies with Lee (李), played by V.I, who aims to control SWORD, and brings the coastal district team MIGHTY WARRIORS and the TOWN district team DOUBT into a surprise assault on SWORD, and everyday life in the district collapses. The RUDE BOYS, led by Smoky (スモーキー, Masataka Kubota), move to retaliate but struggle against MIGHTY WARRIORS' ICE (ELLY) and 劉 (Taichi Saotome), and only escape the front line with help from Hiroto (広斗) of the Amamiya brothers, who joins the fight mid-battle; Smoky is wounded in the fighting.[2](https://www.shochiku.co.jp/cinema/lineup/highlow-the-movie/) Rotten Tomatoes summarizes the film as the five rival gangs of SWORD uniting to face a 500-member strong attack led by a legendary gang leader.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/high_and_low_the_movie)
## Cast and production
The cast draws heavily on LDH's music acts. AKIRA (EXILE) and Sho Aoyagi play the Mugen members Kohaku and Tsukumo; TAKAHIRO (EXILE) and Hiroomi Tosaka play the Amamiya brothers; and the five SWORD gangs are filled out by performers including 岩田剛典 and Nobuyuki Suzuki (Sannou Rengokai), Keiji Kuroki and Yuya Endo (White Rascals), Yuki Yamada (Oya Koukou), Masataka Kubota (RUDE BOYS), and Kento Hayashi (林遣都, Daruma Ikka).[2](https://www.shochiku.co.jp/cinema/lineup/highlow-the-movie/)
Shigeaki Kubo directed, with planning and production by HI-AX and planning produce by EXILE HIRO; the screenplay credits Kei Watanabe, Norihisa Hiranuma, and Team HI-AX.[2](https://www.shochiku.co.jp/cinema/lineup/highlow-the-movie/) • [1](https://www.ntv.co.jp/english/pc/2016/12/high-low.html) Rotten Tomatoes lists Nippon Television Network as the production company and Naoto Fujimura, Norihisa Hiranuma, Chikako Nakabayashi, and Hiroyuki Ueno as producers.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/high_and_low_the_movie)
## Release and sequels
The film opened in Japan on July 14, 2016.[1](https://www.ntv.co.jp/english/pc/2016/12/high-low.html) It was followed by the spin-off film *HiGH&LOW THE RED RAIN* (October 8, 2016), then two direct sequels directed by Shigeaki Kubo and Tsuyoshi Nakakiku: *HiGH&LOW THE MOVIE 2 / END OF SKY* (August 19, 2017) and *HiGH&LOW THE MOVIE 3 / FINAL MISSION* (November 11, 2017).[1](https://www.ntv.co.jp/english/pc/2016/12/high-low.html) Rotten Tomatoes lists a streaming release on September 24, 2020.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/high_and_low_the_movie)
In 2025 LDH announced a final-chapter film set in a new world after the events of FINAL MISSION, in which the man long wrapped in a great mystery finally appears. AKIRA returns as Kohaku, alongside NAOTO as Jesse, leader of the Prison Gang; Alan Shirahama as Bernie, the brain trust of MIGHTY WARRIORS; Kazuma Kawamura as Fujio Hanaoka, a dominant figure in Oya Koukou Full-time School; and Hokuto Yoshino as Tsukasa Takajo, Fujio's childhood friend and partner.[6](https://www.ldh.co.jp/chh/news/detail.php?lang=eng&newsid=0000054740&site=LDH)
## References
1. [HiGH & LOW, Nippon TV Program Catalog](https://www.ntv.co.jp/english/pc/2016/12/high-low.html)
2. [HiGH&LOW THE MOVIE, Shochiku](https://www.shochiku.co.jp/cinema/lineup/highlow-the-movie/)
3. [High & Low: The Movie, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/high_and_low_the_movie)
4. [「HiGH&LOW/ハイアンドロー」シリーズを観る順番は？, ciatr](https://ciatr.jp/topics/291065)
5. [HiGH&LOW, EXILE TRIBE Wiki (Fandom)](https://exile-tribe.fandom.com/wiki/HiGH%26LOW)
6. [Final chapter of movie "HiGH&LOW" to be produced!, LDH](https://www.ldh.co.jp/chh/news/detail.php?lang=eng&newsid=0000054740&site=LDH)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Franchise and series entries as standalone works › Action, thriller, and crime series film entries › Entries released in the 2010s › Action and adventure entries › Titles symbols to K*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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