Ramen Heads

2018 | Documentary, Foreign Language

Synopsis

In 'Ramen Heads,' Osamu Tomita, Japan's reigning king of ramen, takes us deep into his world, revealing every single step of his obsessive approach to creating the perfect soup and noodles, and his relentless search for the highest-quality ingredients. In addition to Tomita's story, the film also profiles five other notable ramen shops, each with its own philosophy and flavour, which exemplify various different aspects the ramen world. Mixing in a brief rundown of ramen's historical roots, the film gives viewers an in-depth look at the culture surrounding this unique and beguiling dish. This is a documentary record of 15 months in the lives of Japan's top ramen masters and their legions of devoted fans.

Scores

Overall Score
34.0
Popularity Percentile (Year)
26.2%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
22.1%
Review Aggregate
72.2

Critic Consensus

64.7% Fresh • 17 critic reviews

Critic reception is mixed, with 65% of 17 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize stylized, visually striking, lighthearted. Common reservations focus on execution consistency, even when reviewers praise standout elements.

stylizedvisually strikinglightheartedcharacter-drivenemotionalthought-provoking

Cast

CastYearReported SalaryInflation AdjustedNotes
Akiko Yajima2018$1,000$1,000(est)
Miki Narahashi2018$0$0(est)
Toshiyuki Morikawa2018$0$0(est)
Satomi Kōrogi2018$0$0(est)
Mari Mashiba2018$0$0(est)
Tamao Hayashi2018$0$0(est)
Teiyū Ichiryūsai2018$0$0(est)
Chie Sato2018$0$0(est)
Megumi Han2018$0$0(est)
Tsutomu Sekine2018$0$0(est)

Aggregated Reviews

Rotten Tomatoes critic score65.0
RT critic review count17
Rotten Tomatoes audience score82.0
RT audience rating count50
IMDb rating7.0
IMDb votes747

Box Office ?

CategoryYearReportedInflation Adjusted
Domestic2018$57,345$71,641
International2018N/AN/A
Worldwide2018$57,345$71,641

Earnings / Profitability

Estimated net revenues and net expenses for films based on reported and estimated numbers. This income statement should be considered most viable for the first 24 months after the inital movie's release (ie after most lucrative pay windows).
CategoryYearReportedInflation Adjusted
Revenues
Theatrical Net Revenue2018$28,672$35,821
Digital Rentals ?2018$790,000$986,949
Digital Purchases ?2018$952,000$1,189,336
Physical Rentals ?2018$486,000$607,161
Physical Purchases ?2018$1,380,000$1,724,038
TV & Streaming Revenue2018$53,700$67,088
Total Revenues2018$3,690,372$4,610,393
Expenses
Budget ?2018$179,000 (est)$223,625 (est)
Print & Advertising (P&A) ?2018$80,000 (est)$99,944 (est)
Participations2018$148,000$184,897
Residuals ?2018$183,000$228,622
Interest & Overhead2018$35,800$44,725
Total Expenses2018$625,800$781,814
Movie Net Profit or Loss2018$3,064,572$3,828,580

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