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385 results, page 1 of 8
A Story Written With Water (1965) review
An exquisitely layered psychological drama that unveils how a subject’s fixation on a phantasmatic image disrupts his ability to commit himself romantically to the female other
Black Tight Killers (1966)
A stylish and visually dazzling romp with lots of action and sensuality
Yoko (2023) review
A complex full-bodied filmic wine that cannot but stir the spectator’s emotions.
Bad Lands (2023) review
The incredibly well-crafted narrative structure, fuelled by Sakura Ando’s extremely satisfying performance, ensures that the spectator remains engaged from start and finish
Undercurrent (2023) review
Imaizumi delivers an engaging but understated emotional experience that explores the deceptive nature of imaginary veil that binds two subjects together.
Kisaragi Station (2022) review
Thanks to a good narrative structure and pleasant performance this low-budget horror film succeeds in engaging and satisfying the spectator.
Performing Kaoru’s Funeral (2023) review [OAFF 2024]
Yuasa’s narrative shows that the unavoidable presence of death during a funeral can allow a subject to re-route his own trajectory.
Faraway Family (2023) review [OAFF 2024]
A very touching narrative that explores the frail position of the father and how his structural failure can cause subjective struggles and inhibitions.
Blue Imagine (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A powerful reminder of the sexual transgressions that structurally plague the Japanese film industry
Snowdrop (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A complex character portrait that touchingly illustrates how easy it is to misrecognize the logic of the subject-supposed-to-be-in-need.
Short Movie Time: Perfect・Nervous (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
An exquisitely crafted narrative that touchingly shows that a simple encounter, a simple exchange of signifiers, can turn a wish to die into a desire to life.
Wash Away (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A pleasant narrative that offers a fresh but familiar exploration of the subject’s fundamental desire for recognition/love and the problematic yet medicative function of consumption.
Short Movie Time: On a Boat (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
The exploration of the frail stability of an obsessional neurotic does not miss its impact on the spectator.
Amalock (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A narrative that fluidly combines comedy and tragedy to deliver an experience of smiles and tears.
Sumiko 22 (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A subtle but playful narrative about a subject who slowly tries to crawl out the hole of emptiness and diminished self-worth.
Short Movie Time: Ririka of the Star (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A narrative that does not merely emphasize the beauty of moving female body, but reveals that such beauty can change subjects.
Memories of this Scent (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
An endearing and fragrance rich tale of subjective change.
Ask For The Moon (2022) review [OAFF 2024]
A satisfying narrative that illustrates how the subject’s ego is but a response to his complexes and struggles.
Suton (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
Rikako Watanabe’s narrative succeeds to echo the unvocalized ‘pandemic’ truth of many.
Tokyo Revengers 2: Bloody Halloween Destiny (2023) review
A prime example of a cinematic narrative that is solely made for the fans of the manga and the anime.
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters (1968) review [The Godzilla Project]
Honda delivers another narrative in which Otherness is feared and a deceptive imaginary sense of societal harmony is subtly celebrated.
Kingdom III: Flame of Destiny (2023) review
A straightforward action-epic that delivers everything fans of the manga and the anime desire.
Monster (2023) review
Kore-eda succeeds in delivering an utterly engaging narrative about the fundamental misunderstanding that underpins our fabrication of our truth.
Immersion (2023) review
Spectators looking for something new and fresh will find little to like about Shimizu’s latest.
The Fall Of Ako Castle (1978) review
Fukasaku has crafted a period piece that, due to its impeccable dramatic pacing, has to be counted among the best
Robinson’s Garden (1988) [Japan Cuts 2021]
“Yamamoto is not able to create a composition that engages the spectator with its highly relevant message.”
Remembering Every Night (2022) review
Kyiyuhara’s narrative brings the spectator in touch in the multitude of subjective effects of the ephemerality of life
Zom 100: Bucket List Of The Dead (2023) review
A fun romp, yes, but also quite forgettable.
Yudo: The Way of the Bath (2023) review
If one, as spectator, merely seeks a heartwarming story, Suzuki’s film is an easy recommendation.
Violence Action (2022) review
A mildly entertaining action-comedy that ultimately fails to fully satisfy the spectator.
Do Unto Others (2023) review
While many spectators will shed tears at the emotional unfolding, our tears lament Maeda’s choice to go full melodrama.
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…
The Execution Game (1979) review
A satisfying and stylish conclusion full of captivating action-sequences.
Kingdom 2: Far and Away (2022) review
An epic and quite emotional experience that sadly fails to reach it full potential by holding on too tight to its shonen-roots.
Guard from Underground (1992)
Kurosawa’s early slasher is a successful stylistic experiment that anyone who calls himself a fan of Japanese horror should see.
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…
Man Who Causes A Storm (1957)
Inoue’s rags-to-riches narrative might not escape the territory of predictability, but he puts enough thematical meat on the table so that the spectator, in full knowlegde of how…
Top 15 Japanese movies 2023
Our Top movies of 2023. Check it out, now.
The Master Plan / The End of The Tiny World (2021) review
“Pleasant, but ultimately fails to deliver the emotional catharsis it so clearly promises.”
Funky Forest: the first Contact (2005) review
“Strange, mundane, surprising, deadpan funny, funky, and ethereal all rolled into one.”
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
Following The Sound (2023) review
An incredible narrative about the subject’s struggle to deal with his loss and pain.
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…
#Manhole (2023) review
A highly engaging and twist-rich narrative that beautifully illustrates the continued importance of the image for the subject as well as the disastrous effects of the frustration of…
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.
A Far Shore (2022) review
A highly engaging story that explores the destructive effects of a societal field that fails to reach out to subjects-in-need.
Pure Japanese (2022) review
Matsunaga’s narrative lacks the glue that would put all the parts fluidly together and create a truly impactful action experience.
Violent Streets (1974)
A nihilistic and violent yakuza classic.