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80% Critic Match
Japans Schneeaffen Hautnah
“Meet the real "snow monkeys."”
8.0 / 10• 2025• 52m•NR• English
Documentary
Storyline
The image of “snow monkeys” submerged in a hot spring as snow falls around them is iconic. These are Japanese macaques, the northernmost population of monkeys in the world. Highly adaptable, they are the only primates to inhabit environments that range from low coastal plains to mountainous areas 3,000 meters above sea level, with temperatures that can drop to -30 degrees Celsius. How is this single species of macaque able to thrive in such widely diverse habitats? Shot in beautiful 4K UHD, the cameras travel through Japan to capture unique monkey groups displaying different localized food habits, including a world-first footage of monkeys catching live fish as well as how such new behaviors spread among individuals in the pack.
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Kosuke Hayashi's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
4.0
“Every frame feels alive. Japans Schneeaffen Hautnah is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
