Monster

And following on from Rashomon itself, an outstanding recent example of the eponymous ‘effect’ from LFC’s most-often-screened director of the past decade. Kore-eda coaxes compelling performances from his cast in this elemental psychological thriller: is fifth-grader Minato being bullied by his teacher? Or is he actually bullying his fellow student, Yori? Or are both actually victims of their other classmates? The choice is yours…

96% – Rotten Tomatoes

7.8 / 10 – IMDB

“what’s really striking about Kore-eda’s latest is his diligent attention to mood and a credible sort of subjective reality.”

“Sakamoto’s music swoons and pulses with a subtle and, in his words, “esoteric” complexity. His playing beautifully expresses Minato and his loved ones’ mutual loneliness without succumbing to treacly conventions or platitudes.”