Kikujiro

Compartmentalized into neat chaptered vignettes of a summer and including an iconic score by the legendary Joe Hisaishi, Kikujiro follows a young boy in pursuit of his lost mother, aided by a sleazy old family friend. In a rolling summer road movie embodying the vibe of ‘90s Japanese cinema, Kitano balances a sorrowful narrative with moments of fleeting lightheartedness, as its debaucherous titular character thrusts the unlikely duo into increasingly bizarre situations.