Happyend
{{Infobox film
| name = Happyend
| image = Happyend 2024.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Japanese theatrical release poster
| director = Neo Sora
| producer = {{Plainlist|
- Albert Tholen
- Aiko Masubuchi
- Eric Nyari
- Anthony Chen
- Alex C. Lo
}}
| writer = Neo Sora
| starring = {{Plainlist|
- Hayato Kurihara
- Yukito Hidaka
- Yuta Hayashi
- Shina Peng
- ARAZI
- Kilala Inori
- Ayumu Nakajima
- Masaru Yahagi
- PUSHIM
- Makiko Watanabe
- Shirō Sano
}}
| music = Lia Ouyang Rusli
| cinematography = Bill Kirstein
| editing = Albert Tholen
| production_companies = {{Plainlist|
- Zakkubalan
- Cineric Creative
- Cinema Inutile
- Giraffe Pictures
- Spark Features
- Sons of Rigor
}}
| distributor = {{Plainlist|
- Bitters End (Japan)
- Metrograph Pictures (United States)
}}
| released = {{Film date|2024|9|2|Venice|ref1=|2024|10|4|Japan}}
| runtime = 113 minutes{{Cite web |date=July 8, 2025 |title=Happyend (12A) |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/happyend-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdmwmty1 |access-date=July 8, 2025 |website=British Board of Film Classification |language=en}}
| country = {{Plainlist|
- Japan
- United States
}}
| budget =
| gross =
}}
Happyend (stylized in Japan as HAPPYEND){{cite web |title=映画 HAPPYEND (2024) |url=https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/396028 |publisher=allcinema |access-date=23 April 2025}}{{cite web |title=HAPPYEND : 作品情報・キャスト・あらすじ・動画 |url=https://eiga.com/movie/102070/ |publisher=eiga.com |access-date=23 April 2025 |archive-date=12 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240912023301/https://eiga.com/movie/102070/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=HAPPYEND (2024) – 作品情報・映画レビュー |url=http://www.kinenote.com/main/public/cinema/detail.aspx?cinema_id=100077&key_search=happyend |publisher=KINENOTE |access-date=23 April 2025}} is a 2024 drama film, written and directed by Neo Sora. It stars Kurihara Hayato, Hidaka Yukito, Ayumu Nakajima, Makiko Watanabe, and Shirō Sano.
It had its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2024, in the Orizzonti section, and was released in Japan on October 4, 2024, by Bitters End.
Premise
Set in near-future Tokyo, two best friends are about to graduate high school, while threats of an earthquake looms. One night, they pull a prank on their principal, leading to a surveillance system being installed. They respond in contrasting ways.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2024/film/news/magnify-venice-happyend-neo-soras-1236081423/|title=Magnify Boards Neo Sora's Venice-Bound Japanese Dystopian Film 'Happyend' (EXCLUSIVE)|website=Variety|first=Elsa|last=Keslassy|date=July 23, 2024|access-date=August 6, 2024|archive-date=September 3, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240903144108/https://variety.com/2024/film/news/magnify-venice-happyend-neo-soras-1236081423/|url-status=live}}
Cast
- Hayato Kurihara as {{Nihongo|Yuta|ユウタ|Yūta}}
- Yukito Hidaka as {{Nihongo|Kou|コウ|Kō}}
- Yuta Hayashi as Ata-chan
- Shina Peng as Ming
- Arazi as Tomu
- Kilala Inori as Fumi
- Pushim as Fukuko
- Ayumu Nakajima as Okada
- Makiko Watanabe as Yuko
- Shirō Sano as Principal Nagai
- Masaru Yahagi as Taira
- Yousuke Yukimatsu as DJ
Production
In August 2020, it was announced that Neo Sora would direct the film, then titled Earthquake, from a screenplay he wrote.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/global/locarno-the-chicken-neo-sora-earthquake-1234725163/|title=Locarno Competition Filmmaker Neo Sora Prepares Debut Feature 'Earthquake' (EXCLUSIVE)|website=Variety|first=Jamie|last=Lang|date=August 5, 2020|access-date=August 6, 2024}} The film was selected for the 2022 Sundance Institute Screenwriting and Directing labs.{{cite web|url=https://www.sundance.org/blogs/sundance-institute-announces-2022-fellows-for-directors-screenwriters-and-native-labs/|title=Sundance Institute Announces 2022 Fellows for Directors, Screenwriters and Native Labs|website=Sundance Institute|date=May 9, 2022|access-date=August 6, 2024}}
Release
The film had its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2024, in the Orizzonti section.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/07/venice-film-festival-lineup-2024-full-list-1236018399/|title=Venice Film Festival Lineup: 'Joker: Folie à Deux', Almodovar, Guadagnino, Kurzel, Larrain & More In Competition – Full List|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Nancy|last=Tartaglione|date=July 23, 2024|access-date=August 6, 2024|archive-date=July 23, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240723193927/https://deadline.com/2024/07/venice-film-festival-lineup-2024-full-list-1236018399/|url-status=live}} Prior to, Metrograph Pictures acquired North American distribution rights to the film.{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/2024/film/global/metrograph-pictures-happyend-north-america-venice-film-festival-1236127891/|title= Metrograph Pictures Buys Venice Festival Highlight 'Happyend' for North America Ahead of Toronto Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)|website=Variety|first=Elsa|last=Keslassy|date=September 3, 2024|access-date=September 3, 2024}} It will also screen at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/news/festivals/tiff-2024-centrepiece-lineup-sets-presence-seed-of-the-sacred-fig-1235032888/|title='Presence,' Cannes Favorites 'Seed of the Sacred Fig' and 'To a Land Unknown' Join TIFF Centrepiece Lineup|website=IndieWire|first=Ryan|last=Lattanzio|date=August 6, 2024|access-date=August 6, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://tiff.net/events/happyend|title=Happyend|website=Toronto International Film Festival|access-date=August 10, 2024|archive-date=August 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240810182547/https://tiff.net/events/happyend|url-status=live}} and the 2024 New York Film Festival.{{cite web|url=https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2024/films/happyend/|title=Happyend|website=New York Film Festival|access-date=August 10, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2024/daily/62nd-new-york-film-festival-main-slate-announced/|title=62nd New York Film Festival Main Slate Announced|website=New York Film Festival|date=August 6, 2024|access-date=August 10, 2024|archive-date=September 21, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240921031225/https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2024/daily/62nd-new-york-film-festival-main-slate-announced/|url-status=live}} It was released in Japan on October 4, 2024, by Bitters End.{{cite web|url=https://www.bitters.co.jp/HAPPYEND/|title=Happyend|website=Bitters End|access-date=August 13, 2024|archive-date=August 9, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240809053818/https://www.bitters.co.jp/HAPPYEND/|url-status=live}} It was scheduled to be released in the United States on June 20, 2025, however was pulled from the schedule.{{cite web|url=https://www.filmlinc.org/daily/film-at-lincoln-center-announces-spring-2025-programming-lineup/|title=Film at Lincoln Center Announces Spring 2025 Programming Lineup|website=Film at Lincoln Center|date=March 12, 2025|access-date=March 12, 2025}}
It was also invited at the 29th Busan International Film Festival in 'Special program in focus' Teenage Minds, Teenage Movies section and it will be screened there in October 2024.{{Cite web|url=https://www.biff.kr/eng/artyboard/mboard.asp?Action=view&strBoardID=9611_05&intPage=1&intCategory=0&strSearchCategory=%7Cs_name%7Cs_subject%7C&strSearchWord=&intSeq=94209|title=The 29th BIFF announces Special Program in Focus 'Teen Spirit, Teen Movie'|website=Busan International Film Festival|date=August 19, 2024|access-date=September 1, 2024|language=en|archive-date=September 1, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240901033258/https://www.biff.kr/eng/artyboard/mboard.asp?Action=view&strBoardID=9611_05&intPage=1&intCategory=0&strSearchCategory=%7Cs_name%7Cs_subject%7C&strSearchWord=&intSeq=94209|url-status=live}} And take part in the 'First Feature Competition' of the 2024 BFI London Film Festival.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/2024-london-film-festival-full-program-documentary-series-1235986015/|website=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Georg|last=Szalai|title=London Film Fest Unveils Full Program, Including Doc and First Feature Competition Lineups, Series|date=4 September 2024 }} The film will make its South Asia premiere at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024 in the World Cinema section.{{Cite web |last=Deb |first=Deepshikha |date=2024-09-30 |title=MAMI Mumbai Film Festival Unveils 2024 Official Lineup |url=https://www.highonfilms.com/mami-mumbai-film-festival-unveils-2024-official-lineup/ |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=High On Films |language=en-US}}
Themes
Happyend explores how political unrest and personal relationships intersect. The film centers on a friendship that fractures as one character becomes politically active while the other withdraws. Director Neo Sora contrasts small, personal moments with broader social shifts, touching on themes such as surveillance, youth disillusionment, and state control. The story also engages with questions of Japanese identity, xenophobia, and historical amnesia, particularly regarding Japan’s colonial past. Underground music scenes and resistance to AI-generated culture reflect the characters’ pushback against commercialization and conformity. The film also addresses the limited political agency of marginalized groups, including Japan’s Zainichi Korean community.{{Cite web |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |date=2025-03-15 |title=Neo Sora Talks Political Divide in 'Happyend': 'Japan Hasn't Really Reflected on its Colonial Past' |url=https://variety.com/2025/film/news/neo-sora-happyend-interview-1236338227/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}
Reception
=Critical response=
{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|94|3=17|4=|ref=yes|access-date=16 October 2024}} {{Metacritic film prose|68|6|ref=yes|access-date=16 October 2024}}
The Hollywood Reporter
Slate
=Accolades=
References
{{Reflist}}