Look Back

The magic trick of Kiyotaka Oshiyama’s 53-minute anime film “Look Back” is how its brevity gives visceral dimension to the defining tension of its story: That between the time it takes to create something (in this case, a portfolio of one-shots), and the time it takes to…

davidehrlich

nothing more beautiful than genuine friendship. so tender and sweet and absolutely devastating.

cinemonika

Superb live action adaptation of the anime by Koreeda .. also kind of feels like he started making this before the anime came out.. was it based on a manga ?

Anurag Kashyap

Almost every other late-era Kore-eda hits for me now.  “Shoplifters”? Weeping  “The Truth”? Huh… “Broker”? No “Monster”? Hell yeah.  “Sheep in a Box”? Terrible. I’m done with this man. “Look Back”? I’m sorry for doubting you, king.

Robert Daniels

this one is for the introverts. Kore-eda is the master of kitsch, and I mean it in the most complimentary way. I had Look Back essentially put on the wtf-shelf one hour in - the film gives you a pretty naive, straight, girly friendship story with lots of sweet shots of…

shookone

Score : 8.2/10 ✅ Seen at Festival du Nouveau Cinéma de Montréal 2026 I’ll be in the minority, and I’m sorry for it, but this one is so much more inspired, resonant, and appreciative of the art form than what was offered to me back in 2024. Not sure if director Hirokazu…

Deathy

Through 3 different mediums yet not a dry eye in this house. What makes us do the things we do? What moves us, if not our relationship with our creative partners and the things we love? Very simplistic in its one-track-minded approach to art, but there’s just so much art.…

Hungkat

Fujimoto, you are so very, very talented, but how dare you make me suffer three separate times. But okay, I am gonna forgive you because this one is an absolute beauty. Hard to write a fair review after having one of the best nights of my life (getting to see Hirokazu…

Jomari Bashin

TIFF 2026 #33: Special Presentations (North American Premiere) Probably is not going to sound cool to prefer a live-action adaptation to the animated counterpart: but that's the case with Look Back. Everywhere I felt that the anime had seemed too slight, Kore-eda's take on…

Jaime Rebanal 🇵🇸