Log: week 26 / 2025

The performances are strong, with a vibrant Kotone Furukawa in the lead. The rest of the cast is on point, too. The presentation is reserved but polished, sporting pleasant camera work and a moody score. I feel the ending could've been just a little edgier, but director Yûta Shimotsu shows a lot of promise here. Looking forward to his next one.

The anime influences are a little too apparent, making it look like a Shinkai wannabe. The plot is interesting enough, but the score is too cheesy and the pacing/direction are somewhat generic. What this film lacks is character and vision, something to set it apart from its peers. The animation quality is good though, and the film shows promise, but the competition is stiff.

Kawai's score is crucial to the appeal, but the way it is incorporated is what stands out. The tempo of the scenes, the way the camera and editing dance with the score, and the pitch-perfect timing of the sound effects. It's all part of a visceral experience that transcends its anime origins and knows no equal. The film is a string of iconic scenes, some of them a little too static and talkative to be up there with the absolute best, but looking back at this film, it's disappointing to see what the franchise has become. A certified classic.

Duris in particular is a bit of a letdown, which sucks for an actor who is required to carry the film. The styling is also a little less adventurous (and whatever tomfoolery there was felt forced), the runtime is overly generous, and the plot is rather repetitive. If that sounds negative, it's because I went into this with the mindset of revisiting an old favorite, and the film just doesn't cut it anymore. If you haven't seen it, it's a jolly enough romance and far better than most of its US peers.

The plot is pretty bland though, and the performances aren't great. But that's not really why people watch these types of films. There are plenty of gruesome kills, some plot twists to keep things mildly interesting, and both pacing and runtime are on point. It's not a memorable film, but it was decent fun while it lasted.

Don't watch this for the performances or the thought-out drama. This film is all about kick-ass and watching things go boom. It's not high-brow entertainment, then again, it never even pretends to be. Some nice action scenes, proper pacing, and a shortish runtime are all a film like this needs, and it delivers.

The performances are on point, the cinematography is polished, and the similarities/differences between the two settings are striking. The film starts off a little slow, but the pacing and structure in the second half are better. Add to that a powerful finale, and you have a quality film.

Takenaka himself takes on the lead, with names like Asano, Tsukamoto, and Hibino completing the case, you know this film is stacked. The pacing is slow, nothing much happens, but that's where the appeal lies. It's one of those films that feels like a tiny vacation. Not the best of its kind, but a fine film nonetheless.

Adepero Oduye does everything right, and she makes sure that even while the film is a little too predictable, Pariah still has plenty of heart. The shorter runtime prevented unnecessary padding, and there aren't any lulls or ill-fitting scenes or moments. I just needed a bit more than a lesbian teen struggling with her surroundings.