Venice 2026: Sabu’s ‘Arrested Memory’ is Clever Action Comedy Fun​

We need a bit more laughter in this world! And why not have some fun with some action comedy. Sabu (a Japanese filmmaker named Hiroyuki Tanaka) is an experienced director who has been making comedy and action films for decades – starting in the 1990s through the 2000s. His latest creation is an action comedy called Arrested Memory, filmed in Taiwan, which is premiering at the 2026 Venice Film Festival before playing at the Toronto Film Festival in their prestigious Midnight Madness section. While far from being an instant favorite or festival knock out, Sabu’s Arrested Memory is still tons of fun. A delightfully wacky, extra goofy Taiwan action comedy about a cop with amnesia trying to solve a kidnapping case who gets mixed up in all kinds of other shenanigans. It’s enjoyable to see him set this story in Taiwan this time around, though the location doesn’t make much of a difference. Luckily it’s also 87 minutes long, so just as it’s about to wear out its welcome, it nicely wraps up and our funny forgetful officer finally gets to go home and get some rest.

Both written and directed by Sabu, Arrested Memory stars Ethan Juan as Captain Lee – a superstar police detective in Taipei. After an intensely traumatic drug sting gone wrong, he wakes up to discover he has debilitating amnesia. Not only does he barely remember where he is, he sometimes has dizzy spells where he can’t focus. The film feels influenced by Hong Kong police comedies from the 80s & 90s with a flashy vibe & gangsters on the run. Sabu also borrows from Kurosawa’s classic High and Low and takes Lee right into a kidnapping plot. A Japanese businessman’s son is taken for ransom and he’s on the case. But the next thing you know, he’s not on the case, because he totally forgot the entire case. Every scene is unpredictable since you never know what’s going to happen with a guy who can’t remember why he’s even in the room or what he’s even doing. I dig that it leans into how dumb and goofy it is instead of pretending it’s more important than it is. It’s clever in them way the story twists & turns with Lee’s forgetfulness. Though I wish it would’ve gotten even crazier & weirder. The kidnapping plot and characters are all so cheesy and flimsy, and it never really gets into anything more intricate than a bunch of funny dudes fighting over money & drugs. As usual.

What I did enjoy is the way Sabu works in some lightweight commentary about modern society and its many flaws. The cops are all buffoons who can barely solve the case and there’s a hilarious subplot where a junkie ends up being the one to actually help with the kidnapping questions. There’s also a few amusing moments where Captain Lee’s forgetfulness leads him to solve other crimes and randomly save other people, mainly women, who were otherwise being ignored because of all the manly money & drugs concerns. All of this is entertaining enough and results in a satisfying cinematic experience, despite the flaws and inconsistencies. Even though the action is never really that impressive, and it lacks the propulsive energy necessary to make me want to rave about it, I’ll be damned if I wasn’t smiling and laughing the entire time anyway. Good fun cinema. Sabu knows how to serve up a good time without trying to overdo it. This humor won’t work with everyone, the style is a tad generic, but for those who can vibe with this it is enjoyable in all the right ways.

Alex’s Venice 2026 Rating: 7 out of 10
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