Contrary to what I initially believed, I did, in fact, manage to attend one final day of the Toronto International Film Festival before its conclusion. Among my most anticipated screenings this year was *Scarlet*, the newest feature from visionary Japanese filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda. His previous work, *Belle*, unfolded as a lyrical exploration of the metaverse through the framework of a modern fairy tale, specifically reinterpreting the well-known story of *Beauty and the Beast*. With *Scarlet*, Hosoda once again turns to a literary classic for inspiration; this time he draws from Shakespeare’s *Hamlet*, transforming the tragedy into an audacious and strikingly imaginative cinematic experiment. The film brims with creative ingenuity and daring narrative choices, offering sequences of breathtaking spectacle and haunting emotional depth. While I found much of the experience enthralling, the production ultimately stumbles in its conclusion, which resolves itself with an ending that feels strangely incongruous with the tone and momentum of what had preceded it.
In addition to *Scarlet*, I also managed to fit two other films into this whirlwind final day. The first was a tense South Korean thriller that fuses revenge drama with the mechanics of a heist film, while the second came from Norway and centered on the deeply human process of reconciling with a painful family past, partly through the transformative lens of art. My reflections on all three of these works can be found below. It has truly been a remarkable amount of cinema to absorb in such a compressed timeframe, and I remain grateful to everyone who followed along with my festival journey. For now, after this emotional and intellectual marathon, I think I have earned the luxury of a much-needed rest.
Turning first to *Project Y*, the Korean entry: even though the film openly signals from its opening moments that the characters’ fates will not be utterly catastrophic, the story sustains an atmosphere of relentless suspense and unpredictability. It begins in the recognizable domain of a heist narrative. Two lifelong friends, played compellingly by Han So-hee and Jun Jong-seo, are introduced as individuals who have struggled tirelessly for years, enduring grueling and soul-crushing work with the shared hope of finally securing retirement and peace. Just as they seem prepared to step away from hardship, they fall victim to a cruel series of cons that obliterate their hard-earned savings. Presented with a chance to uncover a hidden stash of illicitly obtained cash, they cannot resist the temptation. Inevitably, their scheme backfires catastrophically, and the film pivots decisively from heist-driven tension into a full-blooded tale of revenge. The narrative is not without its implausible flourishes — certain moments require ample suspension of disbelief — yet the inexorable pacing, coupled with a supremely menacing antagonist portrayed ferociously by Kim Sung-cheol, keeps the tension at a fever pitch. A word of caution, however: the film ventures into extremely brutal territory, with torture sequences that are graphic enough to unsettle even seasoned viewers of the revenge-thriller genre. As of now, there has been no official confirmation of a broader theatrical rollout beyond festival screenings.
Returning to *Scarlet*, the film’s protagonist is the youthful Princess Scarlet, portrayed by Mana Ashida, who resides in Denmark during the 16th century. Her life is violently torn apart when her treacherous uncle murders her father, usurping the throne in an act of ruthless ambition. This initial foundation mirrors the classic Shakespearean set-up of *Hamlet*, but Hosoda diverges boldly by situating much of the narrative in a fantastical afterlife realm. Known as the “otherworld,” this liminal space exists outside the binary categories of heaven and hell. Instead, it is depicted as a desolate wasteland, barren yet filled with restless souls endeavoring to survive, all under the constant threat of an ancient and colossal dragon that soars through the skies, striking down wanderers with catastrophic bolts of lightning. Hosoda’s imaginative rendering of this purgatorial realm brims with mythic grandeur and visual beauty, while Scarlet’s obsessive quest for vengeance imbues the film with forward thrust and emotional fire. Nevertheless, the trajectory falters near the conclusion, where a sudden shift to an optimistic resolution undermines the gravity of what came before. The dissonance between the darkness of the journey and the unexpectedly upbeat finale leaves an impression of narrative discord. The film is scheduled to open in theaters across Japan on November 21st, though at present no international release date has been announced.
Finally, *Sentimental Value*, the Norwegian contribution, offers a subdued yet immensely affecting meditation on family and the long shadow of unresolved trauma. At its center are two sisters, Nora, played with exquisite subtlety by Renate Reinsve, and Agnes, portrayed by Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas. Their already fragile sense of stability is disrupted when their father, Gustav — a character depicted by the inimitable Stellan Skarsgård — reenters their lives following the death of their mother. Gustav, who spent much of their upbringing largely absent, is a celebrated film director now attempting to create his most profoundly personal cinematic project to date. Under the sensitive direction of Joachim Trier, known globally for his earlier film *The Worst Person in the World*, the story delicately intertwines themes of grief, estrangement, and the redemptive potential of creative expression. Through the process of revisiting their father’s art — and, by extension, his damaged humanity — the sisters begin the difficult journey of reconciling with wounds from their childhood. The film delivers piercing emotional clarity at times, such as in a devastating moment when Nora turns to Agnes and asks, with vulnerability and aching confusion, why the scars of their shared past seemed to break her so profoundly yet left her sister seemingly untouched. Even amidst these painful revelations, Trier brings the narrative threads together with a sense of authentic hopefulness, ensuring that the audience departs not crushed by despair but rather moved by a cautious optimism about the possibility of healing. The film is set to open in Norwegian theaters on November 7th, though further distribution details remain forthcoming.
Sourse: https://www.theverge.com/toronto-international-film-festival/777609/tiff-2025-reviews-scarlet-project-y-sentimental-value
