
Movies

Shinji Araki's first feature film is mysterious, conceptual, and extremely well-executed. He has a strong and clear idea in his head, which he makes his own by taking on the roles of writer and director. The audience needs to do some of the work, though he gives them ample time to take everything in and complete the puzzle he prepared. The Town of Headcounts is a peculiar film, a unique mix of mystery and near-future sci-fi that is difficult to compare to anything else.

Normally, I'm not the biggest fan of time loop films, as they all follow a very similar structure, but Araki's Penalty Loop throws everything upside down. The first loop is perfection, after that, everything starts getting more and more unhinged. It's an interesting take on a familiar niche, and one that is executed with the proper flair. Strong performances and meticulous styling choices turned this into a very cool and refreshing thriller.