is a 2017 Japanese

science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses Speculative fiction, speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as Extraterrestrial life in fiction, extraterrestria ...

directed by

Kiyoshi Kurosawa is a Japanese film director, screenwriter, film critic, author, actor, and a former professor at Tokyo University of the Arts (2005-2023). Noted for his psychological films that often focus on ambiguous narratives and on their characters' i ...

. It stars Kaho, Shōta Sometani, and Masahiro Higashide. It is a spin-off from his 2017 film ''

Before We Vanish is a 2017 Japanese science fiction film directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. It is based on a stage play by Tomohiro Maekawa's Ikiume Theatre Company and the novel adaptation written by Maekawa. It stars Masami Nagasawa, Ryuhei Matsuda, Mahiro Takasug ...

''. It was originally produced as a five-part television series on WOWOW, and was re-edited for theatrical release in Japan on 11 November 2017. It was selected to screen in the Panorama section at the

68th Berlin International Film Festival The 68th annual Berlin International Film Festival took place from 15 to 25 February 2018. German filmmaker Tom Tykwer served as Jury President. American film director Wes Anderson's animated film ''Isle of Dogs (film), Isle of Dogs'' opened th ...

in 2018.

Plot

A clinical engineer, Tatsuo ( Shōta Sometani), encounters a new doctor, Makabe ( Masahiro Higashide), at the hospital. Makabe is an alien who came to invade Earth. Tatsuo is forced to be a guide to help Makabe collect human concepts. Etsuko ( Kaho), who is Tatsuo's wife, notices that she is immune to the alien's influence. She tries to save her husband.

Cast

Release

The film was released in Japan on 11 November 2017. It screened in the Panorama section at the

on 21 February 2018.

Reception

Jessica Kiang of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' commented that "''Foreboding'' plays like an unwieldy summary of Kurosawa's gloomy thematic preoccupations and his worst formal tendencies: It's overlong and lacking focus, and the underwater pacing and dissociative, somnolent acting style make it hard to invest in the human characters even before they've been partially zombified." Deborah Young of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' wrote, "This Berlin Panorama Special entry seems like an unnecessary variation on the first film, sharing most of its pros and cons, including some eerie moments, slow storytelling and excess length, but lacking its more spectacular action sequences." Contrastingly, Mark Schilling of ''

The Japan Times ''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. History ''The Japan Times'' was launched by ...

'' stated that "Instead of recycling the earlier film, ''Yocho'' is quite different in story and tone ... darker and scarier from beginning to end."

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Foreboding 2017 films 2017 science fiction films Japanese science fiction films 2010s Japanese-language films Films directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa Film spinoffs 2010s Japanese films