Leave the Cat Alone

Leave the Cat Alone (猫を放つ) is a Japanese-language drama film scheduled for release on May 2, 2026. The film centers on Mori, a musician unable to compose new work, who drifts through his days in a home he shares uneasily with Maiko, his wife and a working photographer. A chance encounter with Asako, a former lover, draws both of them into a confrontation with their shared past — though the memories each carries differ from the other's. After they separate, Asako returns home to a meal prepared by her current partner and finds herself wanting to paint again. Mori, meanwhile, visits Maiko's photography exhibition and recognizes scenes from his own daily life caught within her frames.