Film / Reviews Mar 30, 2023
‘Brats, Be Ambitious!’: Childhood friendships get dark
Set in the late 1980s, Shin Adachi's melodramatic coming-of-age film about a quartet of scrappy boys draws inspiration from Rob Reiner's 1986 classic “Stand By Me.”
Film / Reviews Mar 25, 2023
‘Baby Assassins 2 Babies’: Flying fists with a side of social commentary
Yugo Sakamoto channels Quentin Tarantino in comedy style and verbosity in his action film about a pair of bickering hitwomen who find themselves on the outs with their assassins guild.
Film / Reviews Mar 18, 2023
‘Do Unto Others’ makes an unconvincing case for euthanasia
Part whodunit, part tearjerker, Tetsu Maeda’s film frames its protagonist as a noble caregiver in favor of dispatching the elderly.
Film / Reviews Mar 9, 2023
‘December’: Powerful courtroom drama serves up shades of gray
Anshul Chauhan shifts toward the mainstream with his third feature and delivers skilled storytelling while tackling universal themes centered on a domestic dilemma.
Film / Reviews Mar 2, 2023
‘In Her Room’: An unsettling journey of self-discovery
Director Chihiro Ito's captivating dreamscapes are eerie and mysterious in her slow-burning relationship drama.
Film / Reviews Feb 23, 2023
‘Red Shoes’: Boxing tearjerker makes for a lightweight entry
Toshiro Saiga’s drama geared toward a mainstream audience tugs at the heartstrings but doesn’t deliver an emotional punch in the way of Sho Miyake’s “Small, Slow but Steady.”
Film / Reviews Feb 16, 2023
'Yudo': A heartwarming ode to a good, old-fashioned soak
Masayuki Suzuki’s film pays tribute to the neighborhood public bath with a rush of nostalgia and feel-good laughs.
Film / Reviews Feb 9, 2023
‘Egoist’: Layered LGBTQ drama offers bittersweet romance
Through Daishi Matsunaga's intimate direction, Ryohei Suzuki delivers a committed performance as a gay magazine editor who falls in love with his financially struggling personal trainer.
Film / Reviews Feb 2, 2023
'Baian the Assassin M.D.': Lead actor brings gravitas to killer role
While Etsushi Toyokawa portrays the film's murderous hero with nuance and depth, the period drama's storyline creaks with age.
Film Jan 27, 2023
Japanese films set to dominate cinemas in 2023
Toei looks to challenge Toho's box-office supremacy with blockbuster hopefuls, while anime maestro Hayao Miyazaki and film auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda are set to unveil new features this year.