‘Arrested Memory’ filmmaker Sabu likes to stay on his toes

Taiwanese actor Ethan Juan (right) stars as Lee, a police detective struggling with amnesia, in Sabu’s “Arrested Memory.” | © 2026 LHB FILMS & FOURIER FILMS

By Blake Simons
Contributing writer

Oct 30, 2026

Idiosyncratic actor and filmmaker Sabu first broke through in the late 1990s with directorial debut “Dangan Runner” and subsequent box-office hit “Postman Blues.” Both were propulsive indie crowd-pleasers in which unlikely heroes (played by frequent collaborator Shinichi Tsutsumi) are forced into a cat-and-mouse chase on the streets of Tokyo and Yokohama.

The image of a man on the run has persisted across Sabu’s filmography. In his latest film, “Arrested Memory,” the one doing the running is protagonist Lee, an amnesiac detective (Ethan Juan) who finds himself tasked with investigating a kidnapping in Taipei.

Made with a bigger budget than any of Sabu’s previous projects, “Arrested Memory” is screening at the Tokyo International Film Festival following its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September.

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