97% on Rotten Tomatoes

A Rashomon-style tale that’s told from three related characters’ distinctive points of view. Kore-eda’s latest is less an inquiry into truth’s subjectivity than a study of its complexity. Winner of Cannes’ Best Screenplay and Queer Palm awards, it’s one of the director’s finest. Monster begins with Saori, a single mother who works at a dry cleaner and cares for her son Minato, a quiet fifth-grader. All is apparently well with the duo, or so Saori believes until Minato begins asking strange questions and doing unusual things. According to Minato, the cause of his behavior is his homeroom teacher. Monster’s middle chapter revisits and recontextualizes that which was depicted in its opening passage. So too does its closing third, which centers on Minato and his relationship with Yori, a quiet outcast who’s routinely picked on by his compatriots—save, that is, for Minato, who befriends him in secret. Set to the lyrical compositions of late, great composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.—The Daily Beast

“Monster” is one of the finest films of the year, and its structure — like its circle of characters — carries secrets that can only be unraveled through patience and empathy.”—New York Times