Box office Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda grossed $117,460 in the United States with an additional $845,390 in other territories for a total of $962,850 worldwide. During its domestic theatrical run,
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda was shown in theaters for 179 days, equivalent to 25 weeks. At its peak, the film was screened in nine theaters during the week of August 10–16, 2023. In its opening week, the film made $19,319 from one theater. During its widest release, the per-theater average dropped to $1,389.
Metacritic, which uses a
weighted average, assigned the film a score of 78 out of 100, based on 13 reviews. Film critic
Peter Bradshaw gave
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda three out of five.
David Stratton, a prominent critic from
The Australian, rated the film with a score of three and a half out of five. He deemed the documentary a "useful insight into the work of a major composer" despite its less impressive cinematography. Writing for
Variety, Dennis Harvey described the documentary as a "handsome, intriguing if not particularly insightful" portrayal of the composer. He acknowledged the film's meditative pace and attractive cinematography while ultimately suggesting that it "flatters the subject without ultimately quite doing him justice". Ben Kenigsberg's review for
The New York Times lauded the documentary as an "uncommonly engaging artist portrait". He highlights the film's ability to immerse viewers in Sakamoto's intellectual and emotional realm, emphasizing the shared excitement in finding the perfect sonic harmony. Kenigsberg also praises the documentary's focus on Sakamoto's performances, applauding Schible's decision to prioritize the music's prominence. David Rooney's of
The Hollywood Reporter hailed the film as a "deep dive into the artistry of an original thinker". He described it as a "gentle, reflective portrait" that effectively captures Sakamoto's creative process, despite its lack of personal details. Rooney praised Schible's departure from conventional biographical detail in the documentary, noting its ability to coalesce an expansive view of Sakamoto's eclectic output and artistic process. His review highlighted the film's focus on Sakamoto's synth-pop era and his work on significant film scores, while also commending the inclusion of archival footage and intimate moments in Sakamoto's home studio.
Kevin Maher's review in
The Times characterized the documentary as "never busy, never intrusive", gracefully maintaining a gentle tempo while remaining "calm, respectful and thoughtful". He rated the film with a score of four out of five. In a less favorable review, Greg Cwik of
Slant Magazine gave the film one and a half out of four, and characterized it as "listless". He criticized its execution for relying on "lazy synchronicity" and notes that the documentary feels "artificially intimate", rendering Sakamoto's "genuine spirituality and empathy awkward and disingenuous, as if he’s posturing for the camera". The review highlights the editing as "chicanerous", particularly in scenes like Sakamoto's homage at a pantheon, where the camera work and cuts create a staged atmosphere. Cwik contrasts it unfavorably with other music documentaries, such as
Paul Thomas Anderson’s
Junun, citing its lack of vision and spontaneity. Overall, he points out that the documentary fails to enhance the experience of Sakamoto's album
async or provide meaningful insights into the artist's life and work, ultimately deeming it a wasted opportunity. == References ==