Sabu’s ‘Arrested Memory’ Emerges as a Venice 2026 Hidden Gem With a Wild Amnesiac Cop Story

Japanese filmmaker Sabu brings his signature mix of breakneck action, dark comedy and absurdity to Venice 2026 with Arrested Memory. The Taiwan-set crime thriller takes a kidnapping mystery and turns it into a fast-moving story about memory, guilt and identity.

The film screens in the Venice Open section (Out of Competition) at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. Sabu wrote and directed Arrested Memory, which stars Ethan Juan as Lee, a celebrated Taipei police detective whose life falls apart after a disastrous investigation.

Lee has built a strong reputation as an experienced and respected police officer. However, a botched investigation costs him several members of his team. Haunted by the tragedy, Lee accepts a transfer to a quiet rural police station. His problems do not end there. Lee develops amnesia and desperately tries to hide the condition while continuing to work.

Then a major case lands on his desk. Police ask Lee to investigate the kidnapping of a Japanese businessman’s son. The assignment forces him to chase criminals while his own memory continues to fail. As Lee forgets more, he starts relying on instinct instead of experience. That setup gives Sabu plenty of room to combine suspense, physical comedy and unpredictable action.

The detective’s failing memory also creates a constant sense of uncertainty. Lee cannot always trust what he remembers, yet his instincts continue to push him closer to the truth.

Arrested Memory continues the energetic style that has defined Sabu’s career. The director, whose real name is Hiroyuki Tanaka, has repeatedly mixed action, dark humor and unusual characters throughout his filmography.

His previous movies include Postman Blues, Monday, Drive, Chasuke’s Journey and Mr. Long. Those films established his ability to move between comedy, action and emotional drama without settling into a single genre.

With Arrested Memory, Sabu takes that approach to Taiwan. Taiwanese production company LHB Films and Japanese company Fourier Films co-produced the movie.

Ethan Juan leads the cast alongside Hsieh Ying Xuan, Moon Lee, Shinichi Tsutsumi and Reika Kirishima. The approximately 87-minute film features Japanese, Chinese and Taiwanese dialogue. Sabu also shot the movie in Taiwan, strengthening its Taiwanese-Japanese identity.

The international production adds another layer to the story. While the film follows a kidnapping investigation, Sabu also explores what happens when someone loses the ability to trust his own memories.

Venice 2026 features major competition titles and high-profile premieres, but Arrested Memory offers something distinctly different. Sabu combines three unlikely ingredients: a crime thriller, an action comedy and an amnesia mystery. The result creates an unpredictable tone that can shift from suspense to absurdity in an instant.

Instead of using memory loss only as a dramatic device, Sabu turns it into the engine of the story. Lee’s condition creates confusion, humor and danger as he attempts to solve the case while losing his grip on his own past.

Sabu has also described Lee’s memory loss as a form of liberation. As the detective loses memories, he begins rediscovering parts of himself that he had buried. The filmmaker also places love and humor at the heart of his work.

That combination could help Arrested Memory stand out as one of Venice 2026’s most unexpected discoveries.

Arrested Memory screens in the Venice Open section at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. The film has screenings scheduled for September 7 at the Sala Grande and September 8 at the PalaBiennale.

With Ethan Juan leading an unconventional detective story and Sabu embracing his trademark crime-comedy style, Arrested Memory could emerge as one of Venice 2026’s most talked-about surprises.