Monster

media release: Japan | 2023 | DCP | 126 min. | Japanese with English subtitles

Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda

Cast: Andô Sakura, Nagayama Eita, Kurokawa Soya

A conflict between a misbehaving fifth-grader, his defensive mom, and his school’s bureaucracy threatens to boil over with tense accusations. But as the film twice doubles back to replay its central events through different characters’ perspectives, we come to see that the truth is far more complex than any individual can comprehend. Monster’s engaging, daring, and illuminating three-part structure fittingly won the Best Screenplay award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Featuring the final score by the iconic composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, Monster also marks master filmmaker’s Hirokazu Kore-eda's first Japanese feature since winning the Palme d’Or for Shoplifters. Presented with the support of the Center for East Asian Studies at UW Madison.

Admission free for all screenings, seating limited. No admission 15 minutes after scheduled start times. Please visit our website for a complete listing of programs and descriptions.

PREMIERES: The latest and greatest in global cinema comes to Madison! Our popular Madison Premieres series continues on Thursday nights from January 25-February 29! Join us for early or exclusive looks at the most exciting films being created today from all corners of cinema, ranging from a major new works by arthouse icons (like Wim Wenders Anselm in 3-D!), invigorating debut features (Julio Torres’ Problemista and Felipe Gálvez Haberle’s The Settlers), an action-packed international blockbuster (Concrete Utopia from South Korea), and more! This calendar’s selection begins with a movie ranked high on many critics “Best of 2023” lists, Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest. This series was made possible by a generous donation from an anonymous cinephile.