Prison 13 (2019)
A Japanese psychological thriller in which a VTuber's seven-day prison experiment pushes twelve volunteers to their darkest limits.
Prison 13 - Movie Information
- Original Title: プリズン13
- Release Year: 2019
- Directed by: Kensaku Watanabe
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Thriller
- Runtime: 1h 27m
- Original Language: Japanese
- Spoken Languages: Japanese
- Release Date (Theatrical): August 30, 2019 (Japan)
- Alternative Titles: Purizun 13 (JP)
- Production Companies: AMG Entertainment
- Production Countries: Japan
Prison 13 - Plot
Mari is a female university student. She takes part in an experiment held by popular VTuber Sophia. When Mari arrives at the place where the experiment is to be held, she notices the place looks like a prison. 12 people participate in the experiment and they are assigned roles of prisoners and prison officers. The experiment takes place over 7 days. Mari is assigned the role of a prison officer. The experiment turns violent.
Prison 13 - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Kensaku Watanabe
Main Cast
- Mayu Hotta
- Ken Nakajima
- Kenshiro Iwai
- Yûka Yano
- Tateto Serizawa
- Shohei Uno
- Mamiko Ito
- Haruka Tateishi
- Nao Okabe
- Kanako Miyashita
Writers
- Kensaku Watanabe
Prison 13 - FAQs
What is Prison 13 about?
Prison 13 follows Mari, a female university student who joins a social experiment organized by a popular VTuber named Sophia. Twelve participants are assigned roles as either prisoners or prison officers inside a facility resembling a real prison. Over seven days, tensions escalate and the experiment turns dangerously violent.
Is Prison 13 inspired by the Stanford Prison Experiment?
Prison 13 draws clear thematic parallels to the real-life Stanford Prison Experiment of 1971, in which volunteers assigned guard and prisoner roles quickly descended into abuse and psychological breakdown. The film transposes this concept into a modern Japanese setting with a VTuber as the orchestrator, updating the premise for a digital-age audience.
Who directed Prison 13?
Prison 13 was directed by Kensaku Watanabe, who also wrote the screenplay. Watanabe served as both the creative and narrative force behind the film, shaping its tense, claustrophobic atmosphere and its exploration of power dynamics within a controlled environment.
Who are the main actors in Prison 13?
The film stars Mayu Hotta as the protagonist Mari, alongside Ken Nakajima, Kenshiro Iwai, Yûka Yano, Tateto Serizawa, Shohei Uno, Mamiko Ito, Haruka Tateishi, Nao Okabe, and Kanako Miyashita as the other experiment participants.
When was Prison 13 released?
Prison 13 was released in Japan on August 30, 2019. The film is a Japanese production distributed domestically, with its theatrical debut marking its official entry into the Japanese film market that year.
What genre is Prison 13?
Prison 13 is a psychological thriller. The film centers on a social experiment that rapidly spirals out of control, using the confined prison setting to build tension, explore human behavior under authority, and examine how ordinary people respond when given — or stripped of — power.
How long is Prison 13?
Prison 13 has a runtime of 87 minutes, making it a tightly paced thriller. The relatively compact running time keeps the narrative focused and the tension consistently high throughout the seven-day experiment depicted in the film.
What language is Prison 13 in?
Prison 13 is entirely in Japanese. It is a Japanese-language production made in Japan by AMG Entertainment, and viewers watching outside Japan will typically need subtitles to follow the dialogue and story.
More About Prison 13
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