HAPPYEND
Two best friends’ high school prank leads to a school-wide surveillance state. With the country already on edge politically and everyone waiting for a massive impending earthquake, HAPPYEND creeps into your psyche as both a warning and a coming-of-age drama.
Kou and Yuta are obsessed with music. They make a habit of breaking into school to create dance tracks with their close group of friends. But, after their attempts to humble their principal, Big Brother enters the building to police their every move. The system is now rigged against them.
Filmmaker Neo Sora‘s dialogue is fantastic. The mixed feelings of best friends about to be torn apart by change, the comical made-up conversations from afar, and the authentic moments of growing up and growing apart. Sora opens fresh wounds at every turn. Bill Kirstein’s cinematography immediately sets the tone. He manages to capture the raucous joy of high school shenanigans and the disturbing advances in technological scrutiny.
This predominantly young cast is incredible. Yukito Hidaka is captivating as Kou. His brooding aura and genuine wonder are the perfect foil for Hayato Kurihara‘s intense Yuta. Each actor wears their heart on their sleeve.HAPPYEND is an undeniably Orwellian, yet entirely relevant. The US is currently feeling the direct dystopian effects of hyper-surveillance as people of color are snatched off the streets at every turn, with assistance from DMV and court records. Protesters are no safer, unless in large numbers. Sora gives his young characters a platform to resist, and it is both heart-pounding and inspiring. It keenly reflects ever-evolving political landscapes everywhere.
He cleverly weaves together the climate crisis, young activism, and (very) near-future technology takeover. Quietly terrifying, we can pretend like HAPPYEND isn’t a glimpse into tomorrow. At its heart, the film is an effective teen drama set in the heightened and often Sisyphian world we’re leaving the next generation.
Happyend Trailer:
HAPPYEND, a near-future coming-of-age feature set in Tokyo, continues its international run with a limited U.S. theatrical release through Film Movement, starting in New York on September 12, 2025. U.S. theater locations and screening dates are available HERE.
In Luna Carmoon‘s debut, HOARD, it is 1984, and Cynthia and Maria live a trying existence. Mom is a hoarder with chaotic mood shifts. Maria exists in freefall, never knowing when she’ll be bullied or exposed to inappropriate scenarios. An accident leads to foster care. In 1994, teenage Maria latches onto a visitor and former foster as he attempts to tap into her unresolved grief and trauma.
Hayley Squires delivers authentic emotional distress. Hoarding is a trauma response and, often, a mental illness. Squires slides into that skin with astonishing ease. Her highs and lows are captivating.
Her and Quinn’s chemistry is glorious. Their unfiltered bond fascinates from start to finish. Together, their animalistic instincts create a healing trauma bond like no other.
Judith/Margot’s curated existence managing two identities and two families begins to crumble, exposing her lies, motives, and underlying trauma. 
Virginie Efira wows audiences as a woman wearing all the hats. Effortlessly embodying each distinct persona, Efira proves, once again she is a star. It is a balancing act of power structures, dangerous satisfaction, and unusual sacrifice. 
Antoine Barraud gives audiences a film almost best viewed without prior knowledge of the plot. Enticing the audience and challenging their sense of morality, MADELEINE COLLINS hypnotizes with twists, turns, and deep complexity. Barraud and co-writer Héléna Klotz carefully weave an unmissable commentary about beauty, unrequited male infatuation, and childhood trauma into the narrative. The film overflows with nuance, and its final reveal changes everything. It is a wildly elaborate hurricane of grief.
Save one or two, a group predominantly of elitist little shits wage war against the weaker for power. To no one’s surprise, these kids could not care less about following the religious aspects of the camp’s intentions, instead actively torturing the child with the darkest skin. Perhaps the saddest part is how the hatred spreads so quickly.
Outside the inner workings of the boys, there is a grander racism playing out beyond the chain link fence of the camp. A hole brings fear that an outsider has infiltrated the grounds. Slowly, we discover the nefarious intentions of the staff, the indoctrination of following orders, and never questioning authority.
The film plays out in two distinct acts. Once in the woods, the fractures widen, and smaller groups become exceedingly hostile. This Lord Of The Flies meets The Village script is exhilarating. My nerves almost could not take it. Performances are extraordinary. The film speaks to a growing global evil in Christofascism, sexual abuse in the church, and the destruction of otherness. A HOLE IN THE FENCE displays toxic masculinity at its core. It is a sick test and focuses on the myth of manhood. It is a microcosm, and we should all be afraid.
Mark Rylance
Writer-director Potsy Ponciroli‘s screenplay harkens back to classic westerns. There’s plenty of gunslinging, horseback, and trouble, for genre fans. It’s ceaselessly engaging, overflowing with slick writing, striking natural lighting, and insanely fantastic performances. There’s an underlying complexity that history fans will fawn over. Ponciroli has given audiences something special.
Trace Adkins, as Henry’s brother-in-law, Al, is a wonderful balance of welcoming and spitfire. He owned every moment of screen time. Stephen Dorff is an unmistakable villain. You’ll loathe him. That’s a compliment to the work he does. Scott Haze plays Curry with confidence that counters Nelson to a tee. He shared the screen with Nelson in his breakthrough role in 
There is a smartly laid-out trail of clues, so keep a sharp eye out. Old Henry has a climax so legendary you’ll want to watch it again. It’s destined to be a classic. You can find Old Henry in theaters, beginning today. And, if you’re in the New York City area, our colleague, Joey Magidson at 
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