Director: George Miller
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne, Lachy Hulme
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 148 mins

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is the long-awaited next chapter in the franchise, coming off the back of the widely-regarded masterpiece Mad Max: Fury Road.  Rather than a sequel, returning director George Miller has opted for what functions as both a prequel and a spin-off on Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa. Set 15 to 20 years before Fury Road, Furiosa explores the origins of the character, beginning from her childhood where she is kidnapped by the twisted warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth).  What follows is her rise to power as a trusted lieutenant of Fury Road villain Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme, replacing the late Hugh Keays-Byrne) and her quest for revenge against Dementus.

 Those wanting a rehash of Fury Road should rethink their expectations because Furiosa: A Mad Max Sagaplays out very differently – a mature and slow-burn revenge thriller split into five chapters. Except for perhaps ten minutes when the characters reach The Green Place in Fury Road, that film was effectively a non-stop car chase whereas there’s plenty of room to breathe this time around. Considering he’s almost eighty years old, Miller’s film is brimming with the same passionate energy with some truly breathtaking action sequences, the highlight an extended chase aboard the War Rig. There’s plenty of meat to the bone to all the characters too, with an excellent script Miller co-wrote with Nico Lathouris, and it’s expectedly beautifully shot by Simon Duggan.

 Although she doesn’t show up until the third chapter, Anya Taylor-Joy stuns as the titular character. Not only is her performance magnetic, but she also embodies Theron’s sounds and mannerisms. The character is also mostly silent to conceal her identity, leaving Taylor-Joy to communicate her performance through her facial expressions but when Furiosa finally starts to speak more, it feels like a natural progression into how she morphs into Theron’s depiction. Alyla Browne also impresses as the younger Furiosa, who’s forced to abandon her childhood rather prematurely. 

 Chris Hemsworth is clearly having fun as Dementus in a scenery-chewing but relatively nuanced performance and is more than an intellectual match for Immortan Joe. Dementus instantly becomes one of the most despicable villains in the series and the decision for him to wear a teddy bear is genius. Tom Burke also shines as Praetorian Jack and I really brought the blossoming but respectable relationship between him and Furiosa.  

 Junkie XL returns on scoring duties, with the soundtrack to Fury Road one of its defining features. His score here is also brilliant, weaving existing themes with a pumping heartbeat that grows as the film progresses, in line with Furiosa’s development. It would have been very easy for the composer to have repeated himself again and it shows great restraint that this score stands out on its own.

 While I initially don’t think Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is quite as strong as Mad Max: Fury Road, this is still a terrifically original film.  It had me glued from start to finish and I appreciate Miller not trying to simply outdo himself by rehashing Fury Road’s best beats, instead refreshingly switching gears with the story and its tone. The performances elevate the film and all the crew are working at the top of their game once again. I really hope Miller gets to further expand the series and I hope we don’t have to wait another nine years.

Director: Wes Ball
Starring: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, William H. Macy
Certificate: 12A
Run Time: 145 mins

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the latest in the ever-endearing franchise and marks the start of a new era after the excellent reboot trilogy. With Andy Serkis’ Caesar kicking the bucket at the end of War for the Planet of the Apes, this film picks up ‘many generations’ after War’s conclusion with a new set of characters. 

Directed by Wes Ball, most notable for The Maze Runner trilogy, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes opens with the simians having established numerous clans. Humans have now become even more feral. Noa (Owen Teague) from the Eagle Clan, prepares for a coming-of-age ceremony by collecting eagle eggs with his friends. However, events lead to his village being burned down by a group of ape raiders, led by their self-proclaimed king, Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand). 

Although Ball witholds Proximus Caesar from the screen for quite a while, we feel his influence right from the raid, a wickedly intelligent villain who has twisted Caesar’s teachings and diluted them to something that the great ape hadn’t intended. Noa sets out after the raiders to rescue his clan, along with an orange-utan Raka (Peter Macon) and a human scavenger who he names Nova (Freya Allan). 

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is an uncommonly intelligent sequel and is another strong entry in the series. The underlying social subtext is what really allows these films to excel, and the lack of it is what lets down its two weakest instalments – Tim Burton’s misguided Planet of the Apes remake and Beneath the Planet of the Apes. The idea of exploring how a key figure’s teachings have been twisted after a period of time is a genius move, reflecting the intrigue and conflict brought by religion in our world. 

I loved how Ball advances the aesthetic and tone of the series – gone are the predominantly forested surroundings of Dawn and War and its road movie influence feels closer to earlier entries of the original pentology. The abandoned human world is fascinating to pick apart, from rusted escalators to buildings covered in overgrown fauna. There’s some great set-pieces too, with fast-paced and memorable action sequences, the highlight being one on a bridge. 

The film is lusciously shot by Gyula Pados and John Paesano does a great job with the score, no mean feat coming off of Michael Giacchino’s work. Although it’s not quite the slamdunk of Giacchino, it’s fitting and I liked that Paesano respects both Giacchino and original Planet of the Apes composer Jerry Goldsmith’s theme, while hedging out his own. I particularly liked the theme of Noa riding out to track the clan under a bridge – Noa’s Purpose on the soundtrack. 

Arguably with an even greater task on his plate is Owen Teague, who fortunately proves an excellent lead and at no point was I longing for Andy Serkis’ return. He gives Noa a likeable and easy personality to root for, even if he goes on a more straightforward journey than Caesar. That said, Noa’s thrown straight in the deep end and is constantly thrown obstacles to deal with.

Kevin Durand is brilliant as Proximus Caesar, quite possibly both career-best work and one of the most memorable villains of the series. Despite his limited screentime, you can feel his presence throughout and he’s given some killer dialogue by screenwriter Josh Friedman. Peter Macon’s also brilliant as the orange-utan, Raka, who gets given lots of the film’s comic relief but has bags of personality and does his best to spread the word of Caesar’s philosophy.  

The human characters don’t fare quite as well, although that’s not a big problem compared to other Planet of the Apes entries or monster films such as the recent Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire because humans play second-fiddle to the apes in the story. Still, The Witcher’s Freya Allan makes a reasonable impression and William H. Macy is clearly having fun in a small role as Trevathan, a cowardly figure who teaches Proximus Caesar human history.  

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a more than worthy addition to the series and I was quite surprised by how good it was. It’s uncommonly thoughtful for a mainstream blockbuster and although long at 145 minutes, I really liked how Ball gave the film breathing room to develop the world he’s introducing and the characters. Although there are hints as to where future entries could go (I’ll admit there are some worrying elements here and I hope the series retains its grounded approach), they’re not at the cost of this film’s quality, a flaw which has dragged many a film down. 

It isn’t clear yet whether Ball is going to direct the next entries but I’m really pleased to see he put the effort in with this entry. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes does an excellent job of advancing the reboot series, while brimming with potent social subtext and respecting what made the original pentology work. 

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett
Starring: Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Will Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, Alisha Weir, Giancarlo Esposito
Certificate: 18
Run Time: 109 mins

Abigail is the latest from horror director duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. The duo have been in the horror game a while, contributing to the found footage anthology film V/H/S and directing Devil’s Due. They peaked with Ready or Not (which I thought was just fine) before rejuvenating the Scream franchise. 

Abigail covers somewhat similar ground to Ready or Not in that it is also largely set in a grand, secluded manor. Six criminals are tasked with guarding the titular character, a young ballet dancer, for 24 hours while they wait for a ransom payment from her influential father. The film begins in the vein of Reservoir Dogs where none of the team know one another and use fake names to avoid any member from identifying the others. In a somewhat cheap move, Melissa Barrera (who led Scream (2022) and Scream VI)’s Joey, a former military medic struggling with substance abuse issues, deduces the identities of all the criminals in an early sccene. However, despite the seemingly straightforward task of babysitting Abigail,  all is not what it seems and if you’ve seen the trailer (or any of the marketing material, for the matter), the big surprise has been bafflingly spoiled.  

Abigail is just fine and you pretty much get the film promised by the trailer, albeit with a couple of narrative surprises to keep things fresh. It’s drastically overlong – the film would have been much punchier with a tigher 85 minute run time. As it stands with the 109 minute length, we end up going through the motions and being a step ahead of the characters which makes things predictable. The film isn’t particularly scary and I’m surprised the violence is enough to earn it an 18 rating in the UK. Horror-comedies are a tough genre to pull off and this is neither funny or scary enough to fully work as either. 

 The main draw of the film are the performances. Barrera embraces the scream queen role and it’s easy to empathise with her trauma. Kevin Durand is another highlight as Peter, an alcoholic and physically imposing, yet rather unintelligent mercenary. However, it’s Dan Stevens who steals the show as Frank, a former police detective and the actor delivers some ripping dialogue. Brian Tyler’s score is another plus, with the composer updating the iconic Swan Lake with a twisted and sadistic edge.

 It’s a shame Abigail doesn’t fully work with its fun premise but this is a passable, somewhat fun-in-the-moment horror that you’ll forget about almost immediately afterwards. The film would have benefitted from a tighter edit and committing to either being a fully-fledged horror or comedy rather than awkwardly trying to balance both. 

Director: Alex Garland
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya Mizuno, Nick Offerman
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 109 mins

Civil War is the new film by Alex Garland set in a dystopian United States where violence has engulfed the nation. Originally esteemed for his screenwriting, Garland’s directorial career has been very strong so far. I loved Ex Machina and found plenty to admire in Annihilation. I wasn’t quite as hot on his folk horror Men but it was still a fiercely original piece. 

Civil War centres on four journalists, two of whom are trying to make their way to Washington D.C. to interview and photograph the President before the city falls. Renowned war photogapher Lee Miller (Kirsten Dunst) is the film’s front and centre, joined by her colleague Joel (Wagner Moura). Older veteran journalist Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) wants to accompany them as far as Charlottesville and aspiring photojournalist Jessie Cullen (Cailee Spaeny) blags a space in the car to follow her idol, Lee. 

Civil War is a brilliant film – it’s well-paced and sustains its unnerving tension throughout. I really connected with the characters and the film looks more expensive than its $50 million budget suggests.  I loved its depiction of journalism in how there is the dedication, thrills, rush and joy of creating content. The idea of one photo every 100 being perfect is also true, but the lengths in which Garland depicts journalists in capturing even a single photo (for example, by jumping into enemy gunfire) is chilling. I also loved how photojournalism was edited into the film and Civil War is about how a story becomes an image. Sound is also used to brilliant effect, with the lack of sound in key sequences very effective in increasing tension and portraying how used to violence these characters have become. 

Garland doesn’t take a viewpoint on the war and the film has received some criticism for this. But I think Garland has deliberately chosen to remain neutral, firstly because that’s how a publication should treat an event (even if that doesn’t happen) and to also convey the message that the population have forgotten who and what they’re fighting. There’s a powerful line in a shootout between two parties, where one of the opponents tells the journalist simply ““Someone’s trying to kill us, so we’re trying to kill them”.  

Kirsten Dunst is terrific as the world-weary veteran war journalist. Lee has clearly become disillusioned and manages to convey her vast amounts of experience solely through her tired expression and the way in which she drags her feet. In fact, all of the journalists just look plain tired, overworked and underpaid, an unfortunate side of the industry. 

Wagner Moura is excellent too, as a journalist who thrives when there’s violence, and the ever-reliable Stephen McKinely Henderson makes a powerful impression as the older wisened writer. Cailee Spaeny isn’t quite as effective as the main trio, but recaptures a similar naivety she had in Priscilla. Jesse Plemons is every bit as terrifying as you’ve been led to believe and Nick Offerman is an eerily evocative choice as the power-strapped President, who Garland brilliantly portrays in the film’s opening rehearsing a speech. 

Civil War is ultimately a glum but eye-opening thrill ride and it’s quite possibly Garland’s best directorial effort to date. In recent interviews, Garland has said he is going to step away from directing and if this is the case (given that he’s still attached to co-direct Warfare), this is a hell of a high note to go out on. 

Director: Matteo Garrone 
Starring: Seydou Sarr, Moustpha Fall, Issaka Sawagodo, Hichem Yacoubi
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 121 mins

Io Capitano is the new film from Matteo Garrone about two teenager cousins who decide to leave Senegal to seek a more prosperous future in Italy. It’s a story we hear of many times in the news, and the film has been inspired by actual stories of migrants’ African routes to Europe. While it’s easy to dismiss the swathes of desperate individuals trying to claim asylum in a safer country, Garrone delicately portrays their plight. Garrone is a talented director, initially most famous for his gangster film Gomorrah, which I didn’t love. However, he’s since proved a knack for the fantastical with Tale of Tales, Dogman and his ambitious Pinocchio. 

Io Capitano is a terrific and thought-provoking piece from Garrone. While its first twenty minutes are quite atypical of his usual directorial style, once the boys leave home, this is a Garrone experience through and through. A scene with a desperate woman falling behind as a group walk through a desert is particularly affecting, especially with how Garrone plays with time and hallucinations. The ending is also bleak and hard-hitting yet simultaneously joyous. An extended sequence set in a prison is also typical of Garrone and I really brought the relationship between the Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Martin (Issaka Sawagodo), a man he’s imprisoned with. 

Garrone masterfully often shows but doesn’t tell and I always respect it when a filmmaker treats their audience as intelligent. The blues-inspired score by Andrea Farri is sensational and really elevates the material on-screen and the film is beautifully shot by Paolo Carnera. 

I absolutely loved Io Capitano and was completely absorbed in the teenager’s journey. This is another brilliant film by Matteo Garrone and one well worth seeking out – it’s one of the best of the year. 

Director: Dev Patel
Starring: Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma, Sikandar Kher, Adithi Kalkunte, Sobhita Dhulipala, Ashwini Kalsekar, Makarand Deshpande, Jatin Malik, Zakir Hussain
Certificate: 18
Run Time: 121 mins

Monkey Man is actor Dev Patel’s directorial debut, a neo-noir action thriller descibred by some as “John Wick in Mumbai”. In the film, Patel plays Kid, who after losing his mother when he was very young earns a living as a monkey-masked fighter at an underground boxing club, where he is incentivised to lose. When he notices the perpetrators of his childhood, he gets recruited into a luxury brothel that they frequent to enact his revenge. 

Patel certainly had a memorable experience in getting the film to the big screen – the film was almost cancelled when the coronavirus pandemic hit, Patel broke his hand when filming an action sequence and Thunder Road Films, the original production company sold the rights to Netflix. It was only when Jordan Peele saw the film that he persuaded Universal Pictures to acquire the film from Netflix because he wanted it to be seen on the big screen.  

 Monkey Man is a mixed bag – some of the film is quite promising and there’s some visceral action sequences that suggest Patel has a future behind the screen. But it’s also equally sluggish, especially the second act where Kid goes through the typical revenge film motions of bulking up before he has a second crack at his enemies. Patel also tries to interweave too many elements into what is a rather simplistic plot, such as themes of discrimination, the caste system and poverty but nothing really sticks. 

 Patel puts in a typically committed performance as Kid and I really brought that his character had gone through a tough upbringing after the loss of his childhood. Of the rest of the cast, Pitobash is a highlight as Alphonso, a gangster working for the enemy who Kid befriends to work his way up the ranks. Sharlto Copley is underused as Tiger, who organises the fights and feels like he’s come in from a different film. On a side note, Patel apparently asked Neill Blomkamp to originally direct the film (the three had collaborated on Chappie) andCopley’s performance feels like it’s lifted from a Blomkamp film. 

 Although DP Sharone Meir resorts to quick cuts in the action sequences, some of them are well-shot and show promise for Patel as a director, the best being a supercharged tuk-tuk on the city streets. You can certainly tell the crew are working on a limited budget as the film will often cut away or obscure any effects that you’d expect to see as a consequence to an action. The usually reliable Jed Kurzel turns in a strange score too – some of it’s great, especially an atypically acoustic track to a gritty fight sequence but there isn’t a memorable theme that holds the film together. 

Although Monkey Man shows promise and is sporadically entertaining, the odd pacing and overly simplistic story derail the film from reaching the heights of better revenge action thrillers such as John Wick. Even The Beekeeper, an over-the-top revenge film starring Jason Statham that released at the start of the year is better-paced than Monkey Man. I’d be interested in seeing what else Patel has up his sleeve as a director because there is certainly potential but I think he’s taken on too ambitious a project for his debut.  

Director: Arkasha Stevenson 
Starring: Nell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom, Sônia Braga, Ralph Ineson, Bill Nighy
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 119 mins

The First Omen is the prequel that no-one really asked for to Richard Donner 1976 original horror. Directed by Arkasha Stevenson in what is her debut, the film is set in Rome, 1971, amid left-wing protests. American novitiate Margaret Daino (Nell Tiger Free) arrives at the Vizzardeli Orphanage to work there, where she discovers they are trying to birth the antichrist. 

The First Omen is a surprisingly effective addition to the series with clear production values. It’s superbly directed by Stevenson, who really makes her mark on the material and it’s beautifully shot by Aaron Morton. There’s a real sense of atmosphere here, with the rioting backdrop a strong choice and some of the horror sequences are skilfully crafted. Although the film isn’t particularly scary, hats off to Stevenson for not simply relying on mechanical jump scares. Mark Korven, who composed The Witch and The Black Phone, is on top form here again and his score is full of dread but with subtle nods to Jerry Goldsmith’s Oscar-winning original. 

On the downside, the film’s a little on the long side and there are some elements of the plot that don’t quite make sense, especially having watched the film twice. 

There’s some good performances too, with Nell Tiger Free an effective lead whose character goes to hell and back. Sônia Braga is also excellent as Sister Silva, who we’re not sure whether she is slimy or sinister, or both to begin with and Maria Caballero is also a standout as Luz, Margaret’s roomate, whom together have a nun’s night off. 

That said, Bill Nighy’s performance as Cardinal Lawrence just doesn’t work. The character could have played by anyone and Nighy’s Latin is unconvincing. He’s typically a top-tier actor and I struggle to think of any other film where his performance hasn’t worked. 

Although the original is still the high bar, The First Omen is a surprisingly good  sequel. Although it has its flaws, it primarily acts as a showcase for Arkasha Stevenson as a director and I predict she’ll go onto bigger projects following her work here. 

It’s also interesting that The First Omen arrives at almost an identical time to Immaculate, with both films follow effecively the same plot. In my opinion, Immaculate is the better film and feels more fresh because it isn’t tied to a certain ending that has tie in with an existing property which diminishes the creativity somewhat. But still, The First Omen is a sound prequel that’s better than expected. 

 

Director: Adam Wingard
Starring: Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, Fala Chen
Certificate: 12A
Run Time: 115 mins

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is the latest in the Monsterverse series and the sequel to 2020’s surprisingly entertaining Godzilla vs Kong. You’re Next and The Guest’s Adam Wingard is in the director’s chair again and this sequel picks up with Kong adjusting to life in the Hollow Earth as he searches for more of his kind. Godzilla, on the other hand, is dormantly sleeping in the Colosseum. However, this peace is short-lived and the two have to duke it out once again to stop a tyrannical leader destroying Earth. 

 Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a come-down from its predecessor, with an episodic quality not too dissimilar from what Marvel are currently churning out. That said, there are some striking images throughout and some of the action sequences really deliver. 

Wingard falls into the age-old trap yet again of the monsters being more exciting than the humans, with Rebecca Hall reprising her role as Dr Ilene Andrews from Godzilla vs Kong. Hall’s a fine actress but she’s saddled with some truly poor dialogue here that even she struggles to elevate. On the plus side, the wooden Alexander Skarsgard is nowhere to be found this time around. Wingard instead reunites with his The Guest frontman Dan Stevens, who plays the Hawaiian shirt-wearing veterinarian Trapper. Stevens has tons of charisma and although it’s a cheesy role, he manages to pull it off. 

 The script is pretty expository and certain plot elements aren’t fully coherent. While Junkie XL’s score for Godzilla vs Kong was largely successful, here he collaborates with Antonio Di Iorio and outside of the pre-existing themes, there’s not much here to latch onto. 

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire isn’t as outright entertaining as its predecessor was but there’s just about enough here to make it work. If you’re after action sequences with the two titans, this film will certainly reward your appetite. But there’s not much substance here and it’s saddled with poor human characters and a weak script. Also not helping matters is the fact this film is releasing shortly after Godzilla Minus One, which proved you can have a monsters wreaking havoc and an emotional human core in the same film. In terms of the Monsterverse series, it sits somewhere in the middle of the pack but certainly well above Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

Director: Michael Mohan
Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Álvaro Morte, Benedetta Porcaroli, Dora Romano, Giorgio Colangeli, Simona Tabasco
Certificate: 18
Run Time: 89 mins

Immaculate is a religious psychological horror from director Michael Mohan centering on a young woman, Sister Cecilia, who is invited to reside at a picturesque Italian convent. Mohan reteams with his The Voyeurs lead Sydney Sweeney, who plays the troubled young nun, who has turned to religion after being convinced God saved her for a reason after she nearly drowned in a frozen lake and was declared dead for seven minutes. While the convent looks initially picture-perfect, Cecilia soon discovers more sinister forces are at play when she suddenly discovers she is pregnant, despite being a virgin.

Religious horror is a sub-genre that has struggled recently – The Nun was terrible, The Nun 2 a mild improvement and The Pope’s Exorcist was silly but very entertaining with Russell Crowe’s hammy lead performance.

Although Immaculate takes a little while to get going, once it shifts into gear, it’s a gonzo and gleefully blood-soaked ripride. The last forty-five minutes are particularly memorable, with a series of wild twists and turns, with more than a few influences from Dario Argento and Roman Polanski. Mohan knows how to build suspense and pile on the dread and the wince-inducing gore in its final act more than earns it its 18-certificate.

It’s a little ramshackle in construction – the script is a little creaky and aside from Cecilia’ backstory, we don’t really learn much about her. There are also some plot elements that don’t fully make sense by the film’s close.

Sydney Sweeney’s performance is interesting in that she appears unsettled and not fully convincing initially but once she’s tasked with the film’s more electrifying elements, her performance delivers. Álvaro Morte is the standout as Father Sal Tedeschi, who appears to be one of the only members of the convent who understands and empathises with Cecilia.

The film looks a lot more expensive than it is and it’s beautifully shot by DP Elisha Christian. I particularly appreciated a shot of a nun walking, while someone is visibly committing suicide in the background and the nun rushes over to examine the body once it splatters on the floor in the same shot. Will Bates’ score is effective too, with some memorable recurring themes, especially a scene in which Cecilia runs in a field.

Immaculate is ultimately much better than it has any right to be for a horror sub-genre that’s had its fair share of struggles. It’s not perfect but the mystery that Mohan weaves and the heightening tension and gore are more than enough to keep you invested and it’s a film that’s sure to leave you gasping in its closing moments.

Director: Wim Wenders
Starring: Kōji Yahusho, Tokio Emoto, Arisa Nakano, Aoi Yamada, Yumi Asō, Sayuri Ishikawa, Tomokazu Miura, Min Tanaka
Certificate: PG
Run Time: 124 mins

Perfect Days is the new film by Wim Wenders, a German-Japanese co-production that’s up for the Best International Feature Film Oscar this year. Set in Tokyo, the film follows Hirayama (Kōji Yakusho) who cleans public toilets for a living. We see him following a structured routine each and every day. He listens to 1960/70’s rock and pop on cassettes in his car to work, including the Lou Reed song of the film’s title. He takes a bath at a local swimming pool and he takes a photo of the trees where he sits and eats the same sandwich for his lunch everyday. Even in an extended sequence where his niece, Niko (Arisa Nakano) comes to stay, he still sticks to the same routine.

Perfect Days is a pleasant slice of life film about seeing the beauty in the everyday. Kōji Yakusho is tremendous in the lead role, with his understated wisdom and presence and thoroughly deserving of his Best Actor win at the Cannes Film Festival, where this film premiered last year. 

Hirayama is clearly a very intelligent and cultured individual, who has seemingly chosen a monkish existence. We get hints throughout the film, for example his sister’s disgust at the job he’s doing, clearly thinking he is deserving of a more fruitful life. But Hirayama takes great pride in his work, almost obsessively cleaning the toilets until they are glistening, in contrast to his young co-worker Takashi (Tokio Emoto) who isn’t bothered, wanting to finish the job quickly and go off with his girlfriend. 

Wenders isn’t concerned with revealing too much and leaving the audience to piece everything together and the film only really comes alive in its second half, once we start to see his routine getting disrupted, allowing us to learn more about Hirayama’s character. 

The score is great too, a motif of the outdated cassettes Hirayama listens to and I appreciated Wenders’ comparison to the cherishing of physical media, in a touching scene where Takashi wants Hirayama to pawn his cassettes for cash. 

I didn’t love Perfect Days but it’s a very pleasant and engaging piece about seeing the beauty in the everyday with a terrific central performance.