While many spectators will shed tears at the emotional unfolding, our tears lament Maeda’s choice to go full melodrama.
Category: Family
Amiko (2022) review [Japan Cuts 2023]
A fabulous narrative that explores the destructive effects caused by the radical misunderstanding that marks the field of speech and the refusal to speak to one’s child as a subject.
Character (2021) review
It might not be a film that challenges or subverts the tropes and dynamic of the mystery and thriller genre, but it sure does deliver a satisfying and thrilling ride.
Lonely Glory (2023) review
Sakon succeeds in infusing his narrative about selfish benevolence with a rough emotional naturalness that engages and affects the spectator.
Trapped Balloon (2023) review
A touching and visually pleasing narrative about the importance of finding an address for one’s signifiers of suffering
Motherhood (2022)
An enjoyable and engaging exploration of the destructive impact of a subject’s fixation on gaining the (m)Other’s love and that the often-ignored truth that becoming a mother is not that self-evident.
Best Wishes To All (2023) review [Japan Cuts 2023]
A surprisingly satisfying horror-narrative
Techno Brothers (2023) review
An amazing blend of arthouse minimalism and weird deadpan comedy.
Sadako DX (2022) review
“A failed re-imagining of a classic horror-story.”
Roleless (2022) review [Japannual 2023]
Masahiko Sato, Yutarō Seki and Kentarō Hirase offer the spectator a revealing glance at the dynamic that underpins the dissociative fugue.
Halloween Special Review: The Ghost of Yotsuya (1959) review
Nakagawa succeeds in delivering an unforgettable finale that, due to its hallucinatory feel, mesmerises the spectator with its haunting imagery.
The Cinderella Addiction (2021) review
“A highly enjoyable narrative that explores the opposition between indulging into fantasies and the developing of inter-subjective bonds.”
Ice Cream Fever (2023) review [Japannual 2023]
A gorgeous stylish exploration of the subjective struggles and the solutions subjects invent within the field of love and desire.
Ripples (2023) review [Camera Japan Festival]
With her quirky sense of humor, she delivers one of the most illuminating explorations of the effect the gap between the imaginary equilibrium of the ego and the hidden broiling subjective discord has on relational functioning.
Life of Mariko in Kabukicho (2023) review [Camera Japan Festival]
Katayama and Uchida does not merely offer a glance at the relational drama that hides behind the neon-lit night-life and pleasure district, but also delivers a narrative that hits all the right emotional notes.
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