Happyend

Theres something quite Orwellian about this futuristic drama set in a Japan living under the threat of a once-in-a-century earthquake that could devastate the place. First to capitalise on this paranoia is the Prime Minister who passes a series of decrees that limit the movement and freedoms of most of the population. This proves especially troublesome for a group of high school students who, after pulling a prank on the principal, find themselves very much in his firing line. Initially their mischief, and their love of music, keeps the group together but when Yuta (Hayato Kurihara) and best pal Kou (Yukito Hidaka) start to drift apart, the dynamic of the group starts to change. Yuta is associating more with the focussed Fumi (Kilala Inori)...

Maturing into adulthood can be difficult enough in itself without the impact of extraneous deleterious circumstances. But, when such conditions are added to the mix, it can make the process mind-boggling for those who lack the wisdom, experience and insights to know how to cope with them on top of everything else theyre already going through. Thats the essential premise underlying the narrative in this latest offering from writer-director Neo Sora. The film presents a coming of age tale set in a version of Tokyo of the near future in which the imminent threat of a mega-earthquake has the population constantly on edge. This scenario is made increasingly volatile by an authoritarian conservative government imposing invasive surveillance and p...