Yesterday saw me and John at the Barbican again, this time to watch Monster, a 2023 Japanese film by Kore-eda Hirokazu. I’m not sure that it would be fair to say much about it, other than that it is an intriguing, complex film. It’s the type of film which is best discussed after you watch it, rather than explained afresh to those who know nothing about it. It isn’t that the plot is particularly complex or nuanced – at the end of the day, it’s just a story about the friendship between two young boys- rather that the story is delivered in such a way that no two audience members are going to agree what actually happened. It’s the sort of film which questions truth itself; an exercise in, and meditation upon, film as a means of communication and expression. For me to say much more, though, wouldn’t do it justice, so I’ll just encourage everyone to go and watch it, and say that I would be staggered if it wasn’t one of the greatest films of the year.

Check out Mark Kermode’s much more informative review here.