is a 2010

Japanese horror Japanese horror is horror fiction derived from popular culture in Japan, generally noted for its unique thematic and conventional treatment of the horror genre differing from the traditional Western representation of horror. Japanese horror tends ...

film directed, produced, and co-written by Naoki Hashimoto. The film involves a young woman named Mika ( Sayoko Oho) who watches the married couple, Minoru Takeda ( Hiroshi Sakuma) and his wife Ryoko ( Ryoko Takizawa) and their teenage daughter Ayano (

Miyu Yagyu is a Japanese actress, ''tarento'', and fashion model who has appeared in a number of feature films and television series. She is represented with Hirata Office. She is nicknamed . Filmography TV series Films Short films, unreleased films D ...

) from outside their home. Mika approaches Ayano and says she knows a male student who would like to meet her. Ayano accompanies her only to find that this is all part of Mika's plan to get revenge on her birth mother. The film premiered at the

Tokyo International Film Festival The is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biennially from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter. Along with the Shanghai International Film Festival, it is one of Asia's competitive film festivals, and is considered to be the ...

in 2010. It received a theatrical release in Japan in April 2012.

Release

''Birthright'' had its world premiere at the

on October 24, 2010. The film was shown at several other film festivals including the

Fantasia Festival Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...

on July 8, 2011 where it had its Canadian premiere. At the

Shanghai International Film Festival The Shanghai International Film Festival (, French: ''Festival international du film de Shanghai''), abbreviated SIFF, is one of the largest film festivals in East Asia. "China's biggest film festival" according to the Hollywood Reporter. Nex ...

, the film won a Special Jury Award. The film was released in Japan in April 2012.

Reception

The ''

Montreal Gazette The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of th ...

'' gave the film a positive review, referring to it as a "powerful film, fuelled by revenge and a seemingly bottomless sadness" while noting that it "does move at a snail’s pace, so impatient people might want to give it a pass." ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' gave a mixed review to the film, praising the scenes as "Immaculately shot with expressive music and long, mesmeric silences" as well as that "No matter how artful the compositions in this Naoki Hashimoto tone poem, some scenes may sap audience patience."

Notes

External links

* {{IMDb title, 1733280, Birthright 2010s Japanese-language films Japanese horror films 2010s Japanese films