09/01/26 – 7.30pm The Venue
Japan 2024
Dir: Neo Sora
Cert 12A
113 mins
Starring: Yukito Hidaka, Hayato Kurihara, Makiko Watanabe
A Japanese high school in a near-future dystopia. The creeping authoritarianism that is pervading society now makes drastic inroads into the students’ everyday lives. After firm friends and inveterate pranksters Kou and Yuta play a trick on the Headmaster, involving his previous sports car, the act is deemed to be tantamount to terrorism and the whole student body is consequently punished. The crackdown takes the form of the installation of a draconian surveillance system. A dystopian tale, yes, but also a vibrant coming-of-age film about two close friends at a turning point in their lives. Their teenage defiance, played out against the backdrop of an eclectic musical score and some imaginative visuals, is both thought-provoking and entertaining.
Trailer: