"We are too prone to considering what we don't know or understand as monstrous". A young, widowed mother is concerned that her son's violent outbursts are the result of abuse at the hands of his teacher. In this puzzling narrative, similar facts are told from three different perspectives: those of the mother, the teacher and the child. Kore-Eda continues her examination of Japanese society by exploring "the shadows of the heart" and secret friendships. A labyrinth akin to a hunt for invisible monsters. Who is the monster? Where is the truth? A tragic and illuminating melodrama. The sublime score is by Ryuichi Sakamoto, to whom the film is dedicated.
Gaëlle Vidalie