Daigo Kobayashi is a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved and now finds himself without a job. Daigo decides to move back to his old hometown with his wife to look for work and start over. He answers a classified ad entitled "Departures" thinking it is an advertisement for a travel agency only to discover that the job is actually for a "Nokanshi" or "encoffineer," a funeral professional who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next li... (Full plot summary below)
Enjoy FREE movies and series with your Prime (USA) subscription or when you start a 30-day free trial!
| Movie Source | Available | Offers | Added | Views | Quality | Format | Rating | Link | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | UK only | 1 Month Free Trial | 17 Oct 2020 | 5804 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 63% |  Report: Broken Link |   |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 02 Dec 2021 | 6560 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 84% | Report: Broken Link | |
| IRELAND only | 1 Month Free Trial | 26 Jul 2021 | 1551 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 89% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 12 Jun 2025 | 826 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 92% | Report: Broken Link | |
![Its HD [Departures]](/images/logos/icons/itshd.png){kind=icon} | WORLDWIDE | ? | 30 Jun 2017 | 3710 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 86% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 29 Sep 2013 | 343 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 49% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | Free Credit | 20 Apr 2017 | 156 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 30% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 06 Mar 2022 | 70 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 14% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 06 Mar 2019 | 18 | SD / TV | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 16% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 07 May 2020 | 195 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 30% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 07 Mar 2015 | 24 | SD / TV | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 19% | Report: Broken Link | |
Links compiled using automated software. Availability of offers subject to change / might be region specific / out of date.
| Movie Source | Available | Offers | Added | Views | Quality | Format | Rating | Link | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 25 Dec 2020 | 3292 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Post | 80% |  Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | N/A | 25 Dec 2020 | 14 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Post | 19% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 25 Dec 2020 | 59 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Mail | 12% | Report: Broken Link | |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 25 Dec 2020 | 22130 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Mail | 82% | Report: Broken Link | |
| Movie Source | Available | Offers | Added | Views | Quality | Format | Rating | Link | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 21 Nov 2025 | 150 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Post | 73% | Report: Broken Link | |
| UK only | N/A | 21 Nov 2025 | 38 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Post | 15% | Report: Broken Link | |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 25 Dec 2020 | 117 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Mail | 20% | Report: Broken Link | |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 21 Nov 2025 | 4048 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Mail | 85% | Report: Broken Link | |
Daigo Kobayashi is a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved and now finds himself without a job. Daigo decides to move back to his old hometown with his wife to look for work and start over. He answers a classified ad entitled "Departures" thinking it is an advertisement for a travel agency only to discover that the job is actually for a "Nokanshi" or "encoffineer," a funeral professional who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next life. While his wife and others despise the job, Daigo takes a certain pride in his work and begins to perfect the art of "Nokanshi," acting as a gentle gatekeeper between life and death, between the departed and the family of the departed. The film follows his profound and sometimes comical journey with death as he uncovers the wonder, joy and meaning of life and living.
Leave your thoughts about Departures.
| EmpirePhil de SemlyenHeart-warming, funny, wise and profound. Not to be missed. |
| New Orleans Times-PicayuneMike ScottA surprisingly uplifting examination of life and loss. |
| USA TodayClaudia PuigThough events unravel predictably, the film is profoundly affecting, thanks to a well-written story, rich characters and superlative acting. |
| Film ThreatRick KisonakOn its own terms, Departures is a thing of rare and remarkable beauty. |
| Los Angeles TimesBetsy SharkeyThe film manages to be anything but dark; whimsy and sweet irony are laced throughout, a warmhearted blend that turned it into the surprise winner of 2008's Oscar for foreign-language film. |
| Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternBeautiful moments abound. In Departures, the contemplation of death prepares the way for an appreciation of life. |
| Philadelphia InquirerCarrie RickeyYojiro Takita's movie simultaneously tickles tears of mourning as it wrings laughs about the meaning of life. |
| San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoThe film is far from perfect but has enough going on to compensate for its excessive length and some sentimentality. |
| Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovGentle and comedically nuanced exercise in mourning. |
| St. Louis Post-DispatchJoe WilliamsSometimes macabre and sometimes manipulative, but the way it speaks to the spirit is miraculous. |
