Reporter Uto has a strong sense of justice and hates lies. When he receives news about an alien abducting a university student in Hakui, Ishikawa, aka UFO Town, he begins an investigation to uncover the lies, but is drawn into a swamp of unexplained incidents.

©SETAGAYA SENSEMANS

Director: Yoshiki MATSUMOTO
Cast: Yukichi TANAKA, Natsuki YAMADA, Jin ARAI, Sarasa NAKAMURA, Kazuki MURAMATSU, Yutaka HOSHINO, Ruka HIROE, Ikko KONATSU, Hidetaro MACHIDA, Yutaro NISHIMURA, Norihiko OSHIRO, Yoshio NISHI, Katsumi FUJISAWA

2023 / Japan / 99min.

 

Despite the low-key sci-fi title, Alien’s Daydream is an astonishingly high-quality film, both socially concerned and entertaining. With a consistent visual style of camera work, cutbacks, location choices and tasteful VFX, and a thrilling screenplay which begins with cheesily obvious UFO story, the film expands, from our planet to the cosmos beyond. Director Yoshiki Matsumoto, who makes his feature debut with this film, performs a number of roles, including writer, editor and production designer as well as cinematographer. Yukichi Tanaka, who has often appeared in productions by the Ishikawa-based Theater Angelus, plays the difficult role of magazine reporter Uto, who confronts himself during the investigation. Natsuki Yamada, as key character Noa, overwhelms the viewer with her mysterious aura. She is co-credited, along with Matsumoto, as creator of the impressive painting which are seen in the film.