Watches
January 05, 2024
A unique drama. It's the kind of film you get when you let a young person direct a film. Eda was only 24 years old when she made this film, and you can feel the youthful energy dripping from every pore. Not that it's a very action-driven film, on the contrary, it's poetic and meditative, just in a very different way.
Miyuri has no friends, she's very introverted and the girls at school bully her. She is on the verge of self-harm when suddenly Tsumugi opens up to her and becomes her friend. Miyuri slowly starts to open up as she gets accepted by the other girls in her class, but she harbors a dark secret.
There are some slight fantastical elements, the presentation is dreamy, and the camerawork is tender and crisp. The performances are strong too, but the symbolism is a tad overwrought and the film's a bit too nervous at times to be truly transfixing. Still, Eda shows a lot of promise here, I'm disappointed to see that she pivoted to TV work, as she has the potential to turn out a masterpiece.