Extro

On the lot of “Warp Station Edo,” a popular shooting location for historical jidaigeki (period dramas), a camera crew follows several extras as they prepare for and perform their non-speaking roles as anonymous townspeople behind sword-wielding stars. In particular, they focus on an ambitious sexagenarian who wants to follow in the footsteps of his idol Steve McQueen (specifically as a fireman in The Towering Inferno) and unintentionally causes the crew a lot of grief in the process. An exceedingly clever send-up of the Japanese film industry and a loving tribute to the work of extras, Extro is a cameo-filled mockumentary that derives its title from none other than filmmaker Nobuhiko Obayashi, who appears as a talking head interviewee to say, “To me, extras are… Maestros.”

Available streaming territory: U.S. only

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