Overview
- The film, which premiered Saturday in Cannes Competition at the Grand Théâtre Lumière, drew a standing ovation from the festival crowd.
- Critics praised the cast and craft, with Deadline calling the performances extraordinary, while IndieWire and The Hollywood Reporter argued the drama feels emotionally thin or overly tidy.
- Set in near-future Japan, the story follows grieving parents who accept a company’s offer of a humanoid replica of their dead son, raising questions about mourning, memory and the use of AI as a surrogate.
- Rimu Kuwaki makes his acting debut as the child humanoid, selected from more than 200 contenders, and several reviews singled out his performance as a standout.
- NEON is slated to release the film in U.S. theaters later this year, as Kore-eda returns to Cannes with a new genre turn after past prize-winning entries like Shoplifters and Monster.