Monster
my 2024 favorite movie!!
Maybe I should watch it again to not miss any small details.
Because there are many viral movie edits from this one, I also know some of the content. This is not simply a BL movie like the edited videos, this is the most beautiful movie I have ever seen.
The way the movie is developed is really great. The movie has split to 3 episodes and is told from 3 different perspectives: Minato's mother - Teacher - Minato. And thanks to this way of development, it takes the viewer from one surprise to another.
If you look at it from Minato's mother's perspective - a single mother who spends little time with her child, suddenly sees signs of bullying on her son such as missing one shoe, a water bottle with dirt in it, an injured ear, and then the child rebelling and falling off the bike, then which mother wouldn't go crazy.
Episode 1 upset me; it seemed to satirize the habit of 'bowing' and 'apologizing' every time the Japanese did something wrong, but it was just for the show, not sincere. The director and screenwriter were so talented, they leading me to hate Mr. Hori as a scumbag, a terrible teacher. And the principal with soulless eyes is creeping me out.
The film explores social issues such as School violence, oppression in the workplace, extreme conservatism of parents, LGBTQ+, biased media, word-of-mouth lies,... and they convey all the messages soooooo good.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE FOR EVERYONE, especially the ones who adore Kore Eda's storytelling.