Goodbye for Tomorrow

Ôbayashi will forever be known for his weird and madcap fantasy/horror cinema, but during the 90s he made a fair few films that are a lot more toned down. There are clear fantasy elements present in Goodbye for Tomorrow, but they're there to support the drama rather than the other way around.

A boat accident casts a dark shadow over a small coastal village. Three months after the accident, friends and families of the deceased get a strange note, asking them to come to a remote island. There they will get one last chance to meet up with the people they lost that fateful day.

Even without all the weirdness lighting up his films, Ôbayashi is still a pretty solid director. The first hour in particular is very moody, offering a nice mix of mystery, fantasy and drama. Once everyone is reunited the drama becomes a bit long-winded and heavy-handed, but solid performances, decent cinematography and a solid ending make this a worthwhile film.