It’s a pleasure to watch a meticulously crafted film where the story keeps unfolding right up until a transcendental ending.

I’ve founded Hirokazu Kore-eda’s previous works something of a mixed bag. I didn’t feel significantly moved by After the Storm (2016) and Shoplifters (2018) – which is many people’s favourite – but I really liked The Truth (2019) and Broker (2022) and Kore-eda fans seem to discount these as they were set outside of his native Japan and are not in Japanese (French and Korean respectively). With Monster, though, I was completely absorbed by a story that has many layers and shifting perspectives.

It begins with an uncomfortably mannered story of a widowed mother, Saori (Sakura Ando) who has been called into a meeting at her son, Minato’s (Soya Kurokawa) school. He is perhaps a victim of an aggressive teacher, Hori (Eita Nagayama), and the school is quick to apologise but something doesn’t feel right.

We see the gossip that flies around, and how it can quickly turn into accepted fact. The story in turn bounces back and forth and we see it from slightly different perspectives, each time with a little more revealed. It’s possible Minato is being bullied, or is a bully. In a culture where reputation is so important, communication can be the first casualty.

All through are little signs that eventually add up to the poignant truth. There are multiple threads of sorrow and regret, the hiding of things, terrible and beautiful. The final scene is profoundly moving, particularly if you understand the nuance.

Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu
Origin: Japan (2023)
Language: Japanese with English subtitles
Genre: Drama

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