‘Happyend’ Trailer: Surveillance And Disaster Tests High School Friendships In Neo Sora’s Film — Venice

EXCLUSIVE: The trailer for Neo Sora’s debut fiction feature Happyend has been unveiled, ahead of its world premiere in the Venice Film Festival’s Orizzonti competition.

Magnify, formerly known as Magnolia Pictures International, is handling global sales for the Japanese-language title, excluding Japan and Singapore. Japanese distributor Bitters End, which previously repped Parasite and Drive My Car, will release the film in Japan on October 4.

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Happyend follows best friends Yuta and Kou, who are about to graduate high school in a near-future Tokyo where the threat of a catastrophic earthquake pervades daily life. One night, they pull a prank on their principal, which leads to a surveillance system being installed in the school. Between the oppressive security system and a darkening national political situation, Kou feels increasingly frustrated with the world while Yuta seems completely unaware, testing the resilience of their friendship.

The trailer opens with an earthquake warning ringing through the streets, homes and schools in Tokyo. Best friends Yuta and Kou are seen spending time at school and after school together, before things take a darker turn amid a tense national political situation. “That tyrant is using the emergency to try and run a dictatorship,” one schoolmate comments.

The film stars Hayato Kurihara, Yukito Hidaka, Yuta Hayashi and Shina Peng.

Raised in New York and Tokyo, Sora has directed the feature-length concert film Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus (2023), showcasing his legendary composer father’s swansong performance. Sora has written and directed short films The Chicken and Sugar Glass Bottle.

Happyend is produced by Albert Tholen and Aiko Masubuchi from Zakkubalan, Eric Nyari from Cineric Creative, Alex C. Lo from Cinema Inutile and Anthony Chen from Giraffe Pictures. Hayashi Kaoru, Douglas Choi, Robina Riccitiello and Ema Ryan Yamazaki are credited as executive producers.

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