Happyend (2024)

There’s something quite Orwellian about this futuristic drama set in a Japan living under the threat of a once-in-a-century earthquake that could devastate the place. First to capitalise on this paranoia is the Prime Minister who passes a series of decrees that limit the movement and freedoms of most of the population. This proves especially troublesome for a group of high school students who, after pulling a prank on the principal, find themselves very much in his firing line. Initially their mischief, and their love of music, keeps the group together but when “Yuta” (Hayato Kurihara) and best pal “Kou” (Yukito Hidaka) start to drift apart, the dynamic of the group starts to change. “Yuta” is associating more with the focussed “Fumi” (Kilala Inori) and other students determined to rebel against the increasingly authoritarian regime whilst his pals are enjoying what’s left of their final year. Things come to an head when some of the students stage a sit-in in the principal’s office and the original group of happy-go-lucky mischief makers realise that adulthood is beckoning and there is no going back. The film itself is really nothing much to write home about, but what it attempts to deal with is more interesting: the State relying on a combination of fear and apathy by the general public; professionals who have to play the political game to keep their jobs and improve their school and the gradual realisation amongst hitherto joined-at-the-hip teenagers that they may have to go their separate ways. That’s proving quite a wrench for not just the two boys here, but for some of the others whose hormones are rather uncertainly making their presence felt. The acting and writing is all adequate, nothing really more, but there are some fun scenes to compensate - usually from the kilt-clad “Ata-Chan” (Yûta Hayashi) and some of the expressions on the face of their head teacher (Shirô Sano) raise a smile too. Logistically, I’m not at all sure just how they could ever have carried out their mischief in the first place, but this isn’t really a film that stands too much scrutiny. It’s more of an introductory guide to life when things start to become a little more grown up.