My Friend ‘A’ (友罪)

Underneath this slow burn thriller is a powerful story of regret and redemption

Screened as part of the JFF 2018.

Journalist Masuda (Toma Ikuta) quits when a scandalous exposé he wrote directly causes a fatality. Like other individuals escaping an unwanted past, he starts anew as a factory worker out in the country. At work he finds a new friend in Suzuki (Eita), a quiet colleague who reminds him of a childhood friend, an aloof boy who was severely bullied. However, despite their friendship, Masuda’s intuition tells him that Suzuki is hiding a past that’s even darker than his own.

When a juvenile murder case springs up in a nearby town, Masuda’s journalistic instinct kicks in. He starts investigating in his spare time and pieces together clues from the past. All clues lead to only one person: his new friend Suzuki.

With My Friend ‘A’, Takahisa Zeze (The Eight-Year Engagement, The Chrysanthemum and the Guillotine) proves that he is a versatile and masterful storyteller. Zeze expertly uses multiple protagonists and storylines to paint a portrait of a society that’s implicitly biased against granting atonement. Featuring stellar performances from Toma Ikuta, Eita (Mixed Doubles), Kaho (Memoirs of a Murderer, JFF 2017), and Koichi Sato (Six-Four).

日本語の解説は映画.comへ

Year: 2018

Length: 129

Format: DCP colour

Classification rating: Strictly 18+

Audience warning: Contains strong themes, and moderate language and violence (including sexual violence).

Language: In Japanese with English subtitles.

Genre: Crime & Mystery Thriller