Before ‘The Third Murder’ was premiered at the Venice Film Festival, early rumours trumpeted Hirokazu Kore-eda had gone all noir. Perhaps Today’s most acclaimed Japanese auteur, the filmmaker’s trademark has always been his humane and intimate look at family relationships, often with an emphasis on children and the elderly. This interest for the family has earned him comparisons to Ozu, despite seeing himself closer to more contemporary directors such as Ken Loach. That’s why this sudden turn to darker territories came as a surprise. ‘The Third Murder’ may not confirm those first impressions, but nonetheless is a significant change of register for the director who, this time, delivers a powerful anti death penalty indictment through a legal drama that explores its core murder mystery as much as its moral repercussions for everyone involved.