Monster

❝If only some people can have it, that's not happiness. That's just nonsense. Happiness is something anyone can have.❞ ∘₊──── • ♧ • ✧ • ♧ • ────₊∘ Told from three different perspectives, Monster ripped my heart out of my chest and stomped on it. And throughout the film, it made me constantly question who the real monster was. In Saori's version of the story, it's clear that the monster is Mr. Hori and the other staff at the school, and I was sure of it until I got to see his POV. Suddenly, he became an innocent teacher just trying to help his students, and Minato was a bully. But the truth was revealed through Minato, and I finally understood that the real monster was the world that told two kids seeking love they were wrong. Yori's father especially was a despicable human being for physically and mentally abusing his son so much he believed the evil things he was told. The children in Minato's class already on the way to becoming more Mr. Hoshikawas weren't necessarily wicked, but they were old enough to know their actions were wrong, and they kept perpetuating a cycle of bullying that Yori couldn't even escale from at home. Although the ending is ambiguous, I choose to believe Minato and Yori were able to find happiness away from the adults placing obstacles around them. The acting all around was excellent, but Sōya Kurokawa (Minato) and Hinata Hiiragi (Yori) were outstanding. They were both so adorable and innocent but conveyed the heavy themes so well. I also really liked Sakura Andō's performance, because I could see exactly what kind of person Saori was: a mother trying her best to help her son despite so much resistance and secrecy from him and the teachers at the school more worried about their reputation. The cinematography and camerawork were beautiful, and I loved how the world around Minato and Yori was bleak until they were alone together playing in the woods or along the roads, and the sunlight made everything bright and cheerful. I also loved how subtle and delicate the soundtrack was, and to me it reflected the emotions of the person whose perspective was being shown. Monster was quietly powerful, and I'm certain it's going to linger in my heart for a long time.