Hakuchi

It's weird that this movie hasn't received more recognition.

One of the movie's strong points is its characters. They display a variety of reactions to the despair of a prolonged war under a totalitarian regime. They're unable to complain, as bullying and sexual harassment are prevalent and have become a part of everyday life.

Nobody can stand up to the flawed system and abusers; instead, they succumb to depression, passive aggression, and a sort of oblivion induced by the unreal TV shows.

The story has some nihilistic and existentialist narrative elements, likely due to the survival efforts that people in war-torn areas have to put into their lives.

The movie's cinematography is fitting for the atmosphere, and its CGI looks sufficient. The camera work and storytelling are above average and superb in some scenes.

The only problem is the camera resolution, which can appear blurry in some of the less illuminated scenes.

There are some jump scares and shocking shots in the movie, but they're not surprising given the topic is about the grim situation of people during a hopeless war.

I think that many movies coming out from Japan deal with the topic of isolation and this is just one of the examples. Told from the perspective of an individual whose view of film runs contrary to his day job, this film uses an unknown time and an unknown war as a backdrop. The plot weaves through the many characters he meets - his colleagues, bosses and neighbours. It has several surreal moments especially at the end. There are also parts which I have absolutely no idea what's going on. But that's what makes it interesting.