Plot: Rina is a young and promising dancer. She's discovered by Ema, the CEO of Bodyworks, a company that turns the bodies of deceased people into everlasting art sculptures. She wants to use Rina's dancing skills for very different purposes (namely creating the poses of the sculptures through an elaborate ritual). Rina is hired and in time takes over Ema's role in the company. Meanwhile, Ema's brother is working on a project that effectively stops the aging process. The procedure is a big hit, but the price and
Watches
March 18, 2023
A stylish blend of genre and arthouse. Ishikawa finds a lovely balance between the two, serving a heartfelt drama without compromising on the genre elements. The cinematography is extremely polished, the score feels tailored to the film, the performances are refined and the plot is interesting. Some of the stylistic choices didn't entirely vibe with me (the black-and-white cinematography is lush, but not quite as good as the color segments), but that's just a little nitpicking. I was pleasantly surprised by Arc, it's a shame the film didn't generate more hype, but what else is new?