Monster (2023) (Japanese Language)- BFI London Film Festival 2023

Review

126min

Genre:       Drama, Thriller

Director:     Hirokazu Kore-eda

Cast:         Soya Kurokawa, Sakura Ando, Eita Nagayama…and more

Writers:     Yûji Sakamoto

-Synopsis-

A young Japanese boy’s single mother takes matters into her own hands when his behaviour takes a turn towards the odd and disturbing and she suspects his school life to be the cause, as she confronts one of his teachers and takes on the school only to unravel a web of uncomfortable truths which threaten to destroy multiple lives, in this generational tale of secrets and social expectations from the director of ‘Nobody Knows’ and ‘Shoplifters’.

Having spent the last four decades moving and captivating global indie film audiences and international film festivals establishing himself as a modern master of non-genre Japanese social dramas with simple yet powerful, masterfully choreographed frank and confronting family dramas and coming-of-age tales with plenty of heart, director Hirokazu Kore-eda returns with his latest sober meditation on the human condition—and what another triumph it is.

Sakura Ando stars as young Japanese widowed single mom ‘Saori Mugino’, struggling to raise her sweet but conflicted tween son ‘Minato’ (Sōya Kurokawa) who begins to act out and exhibit bizarre behaviour after a series of events in school involving his teacher ‘Mr. Hori’ (Eita Nagayama), and fellow classmate ‘Yori Hoshikawa’ (Hinata Hiiragi). But when the worried mother confronts the teacher and the school, she finds a bureaucracy initially unwilling to properly address her concerns, led by stoic headmistress ‘Mrs. Fushimi’ (Yūko Tanaka) who is dealing with her own personal issues, as the perspectives of all those involved come to light to reveal confronting truths which might just set them free from the weighty shackles of their secrets.

As any fan might hope for from one of his films, there’s a haunting beauty in the seeming simplicity of ‘Monster’ in terms of plot and dialogue, but of course as expected from a Hirokazu Kore-eda story it’s all masterfully choreographed and packs a substantial emotional punch. Meanwhile the narrative boasts more complexity and unfolds as a game of two halves and two opposing perspectives, one illuminating the other almost like a classic murder mystery which by the end leaves you deeper in thought and looking at the first part in a whole new light.

Beyond being a restrained but powerful character study and wistful family drama portrait of modern Japan, ‘Monster’ is a multi-layered piece which defies its straightforward façade. Not only does it function as a frank and confronting study on parenthood which could trouble any parent, and a sobering ode to single mothers struggling to maintain a brave face and keep up appearances whilst dealing with loss or trauma, but it’s likewise a tribute to teachers and the increasingly challenging nature of their jobs. It also serves as subtle social commentary on the power of rumours, gossip and hearsay, not to mention the effects of bullying, victimisation, and stifling masculinity.

Most importantly though, ‘Monster’ is a measured but moving mediation on the pain and complexity of childhood and growing up, particularly for outsiders and those whose who don’t conform to societal norms. As Kore-eda and screenwriter Yûji Sakamoto deal with the core LGBTQ+ element of a young formative friendship—which could develop into something more—by treating it with the restraint and subtlety befitting the age of the boys and the traditionalist society in which they exist, to the ultimate benefit of the drama.

The success of ‘Monster’ truly lies in its value as a character study, and Kore-eda boosts its credentials by making them all multi-dimensional and achingly true to real life, particularly the five main point of view characters through whose varying perspectives we get to see the events unfold and realise how much our image of a person can change. Reminding us that there are at least two sides to every story, or perceptions of a person, regardless of the one objective truth.

It falls then on the shoulders of the cast to make this cinematic social tapestry work and Kore-eda’s assembled talents are all up to the task, with Sakura Ando shining as the struggling single mother fighting for her son while maintaining a caring brave face for him whilst being pushed to the brink by it all, while Eita Nagayama is outstanding as the scapegoated teacher in the firing line who transitions from target of the mother and audience’s ire to an unfortunate and empathetic victim of circumstance.

But it’s the film’s two youngest stars who steal the show and carry it on their slight shoulders with sterling performances, with Sōya Kurokawa proving captivating as a tortured tween struggling to come to terms with who he is and striking it unlucky with his obsession, and Hinata Hiiragi excelling as a charmingly oblivious and good natured but equally troubled and stifled classmate, and a potentially life-changing BFF.

All of which make ‘Monster’ not just another beautiful poignant notch on Kore-eda’s Japanese social drama belt, but an engrossing and heartfelt piece in its own right with illuminating twists, skilfully tugging on hearstrings with restraint and minimum melodrama while confronting the audience with the darkness of the human heart, whilst asking us to open ours and unleash some understanding before leaving us on an ultimately hopeful note.

The Bottom Line…

A moving melancholy coming-of-age portrait and tense troubling family drama character study, ‘Monster’ sees Hirokazu Kore-eda once again wrangle an ensemble naturalistic cast on top form and masterfully choreograph a simple but deceptively layered and enthralling human drama meditation on modern Japan that’s full of heart, further underlying his reputation as a humble master of modern Japanese cinema.

‘Monster’ out now in Japan, on the 22nd of November in the US, and on the 29th of March 2024 in UK cinemas.

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