Kokuho (2025)

First of all, I want to thank Feat Pictures for bringing this magical, lavish, and grand Japanese film to Indonesia. I genuinely couldn’t take my eyes off the screen while watching it. One of my favorite aspects is how carefully the film handles its use of music knowing exactly when to bring in the score and when to let silence take over. Moments of quiet often make the atmosphere hit even harder, and it’s rare to see that level of restraint and precision.

It honestly feels like a shame that the film only received an Oscar nomination for makeup. So many of its technical elements deserved recognition, especially the original score and the stunning cinematography. The close-up shots are particularly beautiful. In my opinion, the film was seriously snubbed in the Best International Feature Film category. On top of that, the drama between the two main characters is incredibly compelling, with a relationship dynamic that feels rich and well-developed.