Following a deadly bus hijacking in southwest Japan, the three survivors--Makato (Koji Yakusho), the bus driver; Kozue (Aoi Miyazaki), a young girl; and Naoki (Masaru Miyazaki), her older brother--find further tragedy in their personal lives. When the traumatized Makato eventually contacts Kozue and Naoki two years later, he moves into their home and becomes a father figure for the two children, who have stopped speaking. The trio are then joined by Akihiko (Yohichiroh Saitoh), Kozue and Naoki's college student cousin, and together this odd surrogate family embarks on a road trip across Japan. However, a string of murders appears to be following them and threatens to permanently disrupt their quest to regain normal lives.

Clocking in at more than three and a half hours, Shinji Aoyama's EUREKA is a daunting film that rewards patient viewers with an utterly unique and moving cinematic experience. Shot in black and white with a sepia tone, the movie features breathtaking photography by Masaki Tamra. In part an ode to John Ford's THE SEARCHERS, EUREKA features an outstanding performance by Yakusho in the John Wayne-like leading role.