Hikari wo Oikakete
2021 / 104m - Japan
Drama
4.5*/5.0*
Follow the Light poster

Plot: When his parents divorce, Akira moves away from Tokyo and follows his father to his hometown. It's a small village in decline, and Akira has a hard time fitting in. Nothing fun happens until one day a bright light appears in the sky. Akira follows it around and bumps into Maki, an outcast girl who also trailed the mysterious object. They find a crop circle and decide to keep it their little secret. Not everybody is happy that Maki and Akira get along so well, and one of Akira's classmates plans to trap Akir

Watches

August 07, 2023

4.5*/5.0*

What an absolute delight. The core of the film delivers a pretty standard rural drama, spruced up with light genre elements, blissful cinematography, and a score that highlights all the beauty present. The two leads are amazing, the slowly fading glamour of the rural setting is aptly brought to light and the pacing is nigh perfect. If you don't care for Japanese drama it's pretty likely this film won't change your mind, but fans of the genre will find something quite fresh and unique here. Narita proves himself a very promising director, I'm glad this isn't one of those films that slipped through the cracks.