Inventive animated fantasy “Jinsei” oozes more vibe and ambition than anything else, which makes the film truly something to experience. It’s a surreal, 100 year sweep through one man’s life, with a story that’s constantly reshaping who he is depending on the chapter (and the world) around him.
Written, directed, edited, and hand-drawn by Ryuya Suzuki, this is one of the best examples of a filmmaker’s singular vision that I’ve ever seen. You can feel it in every frame. The animation is minimalist, dark and monochromatic, but also super effective. Suzuki relies on facial expression and negative space that lends an eerie and unsettling atmosphere to the story.
Even from the film’s opening, it immediately pulls you into a strange and slightly unsettling rhythm that the rest of the film rides on. From there, it unfolds like a fragmented life story that traces the character’s childhood, cruel bullying, idol training, fame, isolation, reinvention, even an oracle-like future phase. It’s messy in structure and sometimes intentionally hard to follow, but that’s life, right? We aren’t supposed to experience it in a clean line.
A big highlight is definitely the sound and music. The original score is phenomenal, with a drifting, dreamlike quality that fits the film’s surreal tone perfectly. The music made the movie for me.
The movie also doesn’t shy away from going after modern Japanese society in a direct way. Suzuki delivers commentary on corporate pressure, the idol industry, exploitation, trauma, and the weird absurdity of being forced into certain roles your whole life. It’s sharp about that stuff without ever feeling preachy, showing you how suffocating it can all get.
The character himself is fascinating too. Voiced by Ace Cool, he’s reborn over and over through different identities (idol, outcast, leader, oracle) as society keeps renaming him before he can even settle into who he is. That idea lands really well, especially as the film stretches across decades and starts bending into more existential sci-fi territory by the end.
Is it always easy to follow? Not really. Some parts feel disjointed and abrupt, and you have to willingly surrender to the structure instead of trying to pin everything down logically. “Jinsei” is a rough-edged but powerful example of indie animation. It’s not perfect, but is absolutely the kind of film you’re glad exists. It’s ambitious, weird, emotionally heavy, and clearly made with a ton of conviction.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 