Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Atsuko Maeda make an odd couple: The former is best known abroad as a master of horror, starting with his 1997 international breakthrough "Cure," while the latter was a star of idol-pop group AKB48, but has since gone on to a thriving acting career.
They have collaborated three times to date, with Maeda starring in Kurosawa's 2013 thriller "Seventh Code," playing a supporting role in his 2017 alien invasion sci-fi "Before We Vanish" and starring again in his latest, "To the Ends of the Earth."
The first and third films are bookends of a sort: Both are set in exotic locales (Vladivostok and Uzbekistan, respectively) and feature Maeda's vocals, with "Seventh Code" acting as a showcase for one of her singles.