Happyend
Description
In a moody near-future Tokyo, the looming threat of earthquakes, political unrest, and rampant xenophobia pervades every corner of daily life. A group of endearingly rambunctious teens answers these perils by playing pranks, but two of them go too far in engineering an elaborate stunt that enrages their principal and sends shockwaves through their school. The implementation of a draconian surveillance system meant to put an end to their shenanigans unsettles the friends, exposing a growing rift between them. In his bold narrative directorial debut, Neo Sora (Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus) demonstrates a keen eye for alluring visual detail and creative odd specificities. Full of boisterous performances from an eclectic cast, and enveloped by a sublime score from virtuosic composer Lia Ouyang Rusli, Happyend yields a cinematic experience that speaks magnitudes on our precarious times. —Jordan Klein
Born in New York, NY, raised in New York and Tokyo, Neo Sora studied Philosophy and Film Studies at Wesleyan University. He is a filmmaker, artist, and translator who splits his time between Tokyo and New York. He made his documentary feature debut with Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus (2023) that captured his father’s final concert performance. Happyend is his first narrative feature.
Film Details
LanguageJapanese
Year2024
Runtime113
CountryJapan, USA
DirectorNeo Sora
ProducerAlbert Tholen, Aiko Masubuchi, Eric Nyari, Alex C. Lo, Anthony Chen
Executive ProducerKaoru Hayashi, Douglas Choi, Robina Riccitiello, Ema Ryan Yamazaki
WriterNeo Sora
EditorAlbert Tholen
CinematographerBill Kirstein
MusicLia Ouyang Rusli
CastHayato Kurihara, Yukito Hidaka, Yuta Hayashi
Print SourceMetrograph Pictures
Closed CaptionsClosed Captions are not currently confirmed for this film
Audio DescriptionAudio Descriptions are not currently confirmed for this film
American Sign Language (ASL) InterpretationAmerican Sign Language Interpretation is not currently scheduled for this film
