Dir: Hirokazu Kore-eda | Japan | 2023 | 127 mins | Subtitled

Cast | Sakura Andō, Eita Nagayama, Soya Kurokawa, Hinata Hiiragi, Yūko Tanaka

 

New from celebrated auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda, Monster is a masterpiece of shifting perspective.

When 11-year-old Minato (Sōya Kurokawa) begins behaving strangely, his mother (played by Koreeda’s Shoplifters’ star Sakura Andō) senses that something is wrong. Believing a teacher is responsible, she storms into the school demanding to know what's going on. But as the story unfolds through the eyes of mother, teacher and child, a more complicated picture gradually emerges.

Kore-eda’s intricate, quietly devastating film is an intelligent and heartfelt portrait of the complications of early adolescence, backed by powerful performances and a sublime score from Oscar-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Cinema Speak - Wednesday 17th April at 7.30pm

Join resident programmer Ben Reynolds for a post screening discussion after the film. This is a chance for audiences to have an informal chat about their reactions to the film over a drink in The Gallery, as well as an exciting opportunity to see independent and international films not often found locally.

It's free to attend, just turn up after the film! All Cinema Speak screenings are subtitled, including english language films.