Presented by Japan Foundation
Penalty Loop
Directed by Shinji Araki
Hosted by Director Shinji Araki
Official selection
Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival 2024
Director
Shinji Araki
Producer
Yumiko Takebe
Writer
Shinji Araki
Cast
Ryuya Wakaba, Yusuke Iseya
contact
Kinoshita Group Co., Ltd.
When his girlfriend was murdered, part of Jun’s soul died with her. Since then, his only thought has been to take justice into his own hands. Having tracked down the murderer, Mizoguchi, and prepared a meticulous plan to achieve his aims discreetly, the time has come to take action. Jun slips in among his target's colleagues, spices his coffee with poison and finishes him off out of sight. The perfect crime. The problem is that the next morning, he's plagued by a feeling of déjà-vu. Worse still, Mizoguchi is back at work as if nothing had happened. Jun resumes his Machiavellian plan, but something goes wrong as his target seems far more suspicious than the day before. He succeeds, but in a much more muddled and imprecise fashion. When the routine is repeated yet again, Jun has to face up to the fact that he is trapped in a hellish time loop in which every day, he will have to kill Mizoguchi, who is also well aware of the situation he finds himself in, and is becoming increasingly difficult to kill.
It would be a big mistake to reduce this gripping black-comedy thriller to its simple time-loop concept, because PENALTY LOOP is full of stunning twists and turns, and ingenious ideas that border on the fantastic, to keep its audience on the edge of their seats throughout. Inspired by a real series of murders during the pandemic, director and screenwriter Shinji Araki (THE TOWN OF HEADCOUNTS) uses his unflinching storytelling style to offer a deep reflection on the notion of justice, grafting on a host of purely enjoyable moments, all with impeccable direction and mindblowing visuals. The complicity between actors Ryuya Wakaba (ICHIKO) and Yusuke Iseya (FLY ME TO THE SAITAMA) is palpable, helping to develop an engaging relationship between the film's protagonists. With this second work that is as entertaining as it is innovative, we'll be keeping a close eye on auteur Shinji Araki. – Translation: Rupert Bottenberg
Showings
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