Film / Reviews May 5, 2022

‘Lesson in Murder’: A masterclass in portraying evil

Sadawo Abe delivers a chilling performance as a murderous mastermind in Kazuya Shiraishi’s psychological thriller.

Film / Reviews Apr 30, 2022

'Bldg. N’: Paranormal scares turn plain silly

Minori Hagiwara’s commitment to portraying a college student terrorized by ghosts and cult members isn’t enough to rescue Yosuke Goto’s increasingly wacky horror film.

Film / Reviews Apr 21, 2022

‘xxxHolic’: Over-the-top camp casts a lackluster spell

Mika Ninagawa’s film about a superpowered high schooler who is forced to repeat his birthday in a time loop is a visual spectacle that gets bogged down with pat philosophizing.

Film / Reviews Apr 14, 2022

‘Phoenix Goes On’: Buddy road trip offers fun hijinks

Arata Iura and Ryo Narita play off each other well as two friends on a bizarre quest in the follow-up to Kanata Wolf's 2018 film “Smokin’ on the Moon.”

Film / Reviews Apr 7, 2022

‘Kingdom of the Apes’: Corporate power games leave a bloody mess

Shugo Fujii tackles a familiar story line in his new film “Kingdom of the Apes”: An intrepid journalist investigates a coverup, incurring the wrath of the powers-that-be. It is a narrative that was injected with topical relevance in the 2019 hit “The Journalist,” directed ...

Film / Reviews Mar 31, 2022

‘Two Outs Bases Loaded’: Bonehead comedy strikes out

Hirokazu Fujisawa’s film about the misadventures of two former high school athletes turned burnouts is silly and predictable.

Film Mar 28, 2022

Japan's 'Drive My Car' wins Academy Award for best international film

Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s film won in the best international category on Sunday, which is only the second time for a Japanese film to win the award.

Film Mar 26, 2022

‘Mlabri in the Woods’ offers a rare look at former hunter-gatherers

Director Yu Kaneko's documentary about an ethnic group living in the hills of Laos and northern Thailand began with an encounter with a Japanese linguist fluent in the Mlabri language.