Hirokazu Koreeda is one of Japan’s most prolific and admired directors. His films are often slices of life, leading many to compare him to Yasujiro Ozu and even Ken Loach. With successful dramas Shoplifters and Broker under his belt, he now challenges his audience with a story seen from the point of view of three characters in the wonderfully touching Monster. This certainly will if his previous films don’t put him on the world cinema map.

Minato is a troubled young man who one day accuses his teacher, Mr Hori, of bullying. Disgusted by his treatment, Saori, Minato’s single mother, approaches the school and demands satisfaction that the teacher be punished. Yet all she seems to get is an unwillingness to comply and apologise, which does not mean anything. Yet there is a bigger picture to all of this, and we then see the events from the teacher’s perspective and finally from the boy himself, who is hiding a friendship that he wants secret.

Using a fire at a hostess club as his starting point, Koreeda takes us on a beautiful journey full of elaborate twists and turns that never overcomplicate the simple story but show us that there are always two (or, in this case, three sides to the story). Played out like Akira Kurosawa’s Roshomon and using the fire as a point to return to the beginning of each retelling of events, Koreeda touches on several themes, from lies and deception to the way the media handles an event to friendship and forbidden love.

The film is beautiful to the eye with sweeping landscapes yet never straying from the story’s focus. Each section digs deeper into the truth. How can an issue within a boy’s life take on a life of its own? In the first section, we see from the perspective of a mother who is trying her best to bring up her son, obviously troubled by the lack of a father, and who refuses to explain himself clearly enough for her to help until it unfolds that he is being picked on by a teacher. Yet, as the events continue, each player involved has more profound issues that affect how we see things.

Mr Hiro’s story is one of trying to do his job under difficult circumstances and yet being accused of bullying, which seems to spiral out of his control. It’s not until the final section, from the view of Minato, that we see the truth, and in this part, the story is brought down into an emotional journey of self-discovery and guilt for feelings that he wants to hide.

Koreeda’s painfully honest investigation into childhood and humans’ ability to hide from the truth is aided by a beautiful score from the late Ryuichi Sakamoto and a cast of talented actors who instantly make you emote with everything they do. Sakura Ando, like Saori, has moments of such believability that you immediately forget you are watching an actress. A straightforward scene is when Minato has a CT scan, and Saori waits outside. As the door closes, she desperately tries to get the last thumbs up to her son. It seemed like a simple moment, yet somehow, it was so warm, and, dare I say it, it was honest. Eita Nagayama is equally good as My Hiro, the teacher at the centre of the controversy, whose life is being destroyed right before his eyes.

Yet Soya Kurokawa as Minato and Hinata Hiiragi as his friend, Yori, ignite the screen. They are two of the best performances I have seen from young actors. They are insightful, charming and utterly believable. Their relationship is of childlike innocence, yet it is the life and soul of the drama, and it will melt your heart.

Monster is one of the most human dramas you will see, and it will play on your mind long after the lights have come up. It is profound, compassionate, and brimming with honesty. It’s a film that demands a huge audience, and I hope it gets one. It is absolutely captivating.

5 out of 5

Director: Hirokazu Koreeda

Starring: Sakura Ando, Eita Nagayama, Soya Kurokawa, Hinata Hiiragi, Mitsuki Takahata, Akihiro Kakuta, Shido Nakamura, Yuko Tanaka

Written by: Yuji Sakamoto

Running Time: 126 mins

Cert: 12A

Release date: 15th March 2024