when i first watched the trailer before it came out, i thought the three girls were living together because their parents were gone. i never imagined the truth was that they were already dead. looking back, the hints were there all along, how isolated they were, how no one really noticed them, how they rode the bus without paying, how coworkers never actually interacted with them.
what i really liked is how the film shows their existence not as tragic, but strangely gentle. they live in this beautiful, warm, light-filled home that feels like a dream, kind of like a ghibli world. it’s intentionally unrealistic and that’s the point. their lives feel suspended in time, soft and almost childlike, which makes sense because they were taken when they were still kids. the movie quietly shows that they never really grew up, they just aged. that emotional stunting is kind of haunting tbh.
i also liked how the movie shows that they don’t question their reality. they celebrate birthdays, cook together, clean together, mark their height on the wall like kids playing at adulthood. there’s something tender and sad about how carefree they are because they don’t know what they’re missing. it’s clear the film wants them to just exist, not process death or loss.
that said, the pacing drags sometimes. it feels longer than it needs to be, slow without always earning it. unlike we made a beautiful bouquet, which used slow moments to build intimacy, unreachable sometimes stretches scenes just to keep the atmosphere. the emotional payoff doesn’t always hit as hard as it could.
ryusei’s character also felt kinda useless (?). i thought from the trailer he would be more important, but he ends up feeling more symbolic than actually impactful. some story threads also feel unfinished, which makes it clear the film cares more about mood than closure.
but the best part is definitely the chemistry between the three leads. kaya kiyohara, hana sugisaki, and suzu hirose carry the movie. their bond feels natural, intimate, real. the sisterly dynamic is what gives the film its heart. kaya especially stood out to me, bringing quiet emotional weight and becoming the emotional anchor. as a fan, i couldn’t take my eyes off her in every scene
overall, unreachable is beautiful, emotionally soft, and gentle, but also distant. it wants you to feel something without asking you to think too much. it works for some moments but also leaves you wanting more. it’s a good film, not a great one. visually stunning, thoughtful in small ways, emotional, but not as tightly put together or impactful as it could’ve been.
(i love kaya kiyohara so much)
when i first watched the trailer before it came out, i thought the three girls were living together because their parents were gone. i never imagined the truth was that they were already dead. looking back, the hints were there all along, how isolated they were, how no one really noticed them, how they rode the bus without paying, how coworkers never actually interacted with them.
what i really liked is how the film shows their existence not as tragic, but strangely gentle. they live in this beautiful, warm, light-filled home that feels like a dream, kind of like a ghibli world. it’s intentionally unrealistic and that’s the point. their lives feel suspended in time, soft and almost childlike, which makes sense because they were taken when they were still kids. the movie quietly shows that they never really grew up, they just aged. that emotional stunting is kind of haunting tbh.
i also liked how the movie shows that they don’t question their reality. they celebrate birthdays, cook together, clean together, mark their height on the wall like kids playing at adulthood. there’s something tender and sad about how carefree they are because they don’t know what they’re missing. it’s clear the film wants them to just exist, not process death or loss.
that said, the pacing drags sometimes. it feels longer than it needs to be, slow without always earning it. unlike we made a beautiful bouquet, which used slow moments to build intimacy, unreachable sometimes stretches scenes just to keep the atmosphere. the emotional payoff doesn’t always hit as hard as it could.
ryusei’s character also felt kinda useless (?). i thought from the trailer he would be more important, but he ends up feeling more symbolic than actually impactful. some story threads also feel unfinished, which makes it clear the film cares more about mood than closure.
but the best part is definitely the chemistry between the three leads. kaya kiyohara, hana sugisaki, and suzu hirose carry the movie. their bond feels natural, intimate, real. the sisterly dynamic is what gives the film its heart. kaya especially stood out to me, bringing quiet emotional weight and becoming the emotional anchor. as a fan, i couldn’t take my eyes off her in every scene
overall, unreachable is beautiful, emotionally soft, and gentle, but also distant. it wants you to feel something without asking you to think too much. it works for some moments but also leaves you wanting more. it’s a good film, not a great one. visually stunning, thoughtful in small ways, emotional, but not as tightly put together or impactful as it could’ve been.
(i love kaya kiyohara so much)
