Monster

"Monster" centers on Saori Mugino, a single mother whose son, Minato, erupts in an alarming incident at school. Rather than accept a quick explanation, Saori presses teachers and parents for details, and her insistence opens up contradictory memories, whispered accusations and mounting unease across the community. As accounts shift and loyalties split, the film watches how suspicion spreads through classrooms, living rooms and staff meetings, changing how characters see one another. Kore-eda keeps events tightly staged, letting mundane gestures and casual remarks carry weight while withholding clear answers about intent or motive. The result is an intense study of how fear and rumor can escalate, leaving everyone involved altered even as the truth stays elusive, and it avoids neat judgments quietly.

Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda and written by Yuji Sakamoto, Monster was released in 2023 with a cast led by Sakura Ando, Soya Kurokawa and Hinata Hiiragi, marking a collaboration between two prominent Japanese storytellers and signals a darker tone overall.

The film prompted intense conversation in Japan and abroad about parenting, school culture and how rumors take hold, especially on social media and in opinion pages. Kore-eda's restrained direction and Sakamoto's script kept debate focused on ambiguity, accountability and the daily pressures that shape small communities, and sparked thinkpieces worldwide.

The movie drew mostly positive reviews, holding an audience score of 7.926/10 from 803 votes. Reviewers noted its slow-burn tension and nuanced performances, and they focused on themes of responsibility, empathy and how collective suspicion reshapes relationships and memory. Its measured pacing and moral ambiguity kept discussions lively among critics.

As an art-house drama it opened on a limited theatrical run in Japan and played international festivals, drawing strong critical attention while box office remained modest compared with mainstream releases. It earned attention from cinephiles and academics alike in Japan.