'Best Wishes To All' Review - Chilling Japanese Horror Film Struggles To Sustain Tension
'Chilling' best describes Best Wishes To All from Japanese director Yûta Shimotsu. However, it is a tepid chill that starts strong and deviates into a story that becomes an over-the-top ritualistic sacrifice. As a result, it sometimes feels like we are watching two separate films. It boasts a familiar connection, and we become tangled while weaving an intricate and complex web. There is a slow and deliberate measure that deserves applause; however, the film drops off feeling like a curt sign-off to the end of a greeting card rather than anything meaningful or noteworthy.
The film strives to comment on generations, peeling back the layers of societal pressures coupled with one's ambitions. At the core, this story is about family and the quest for happiness. Is it self-evident, or does it mean a cause for discovery? The film dangles these questions before us at the start, and while the answers are muddled by the end, the story deserves praise for positioning these questions in front of the mind at the beginning.
The story follows a young nursing student (Kotone Furukawa) who is on break from school as she goes to visit her grandparents in the countryside. A blissful reunion goes to hell in a handbasket when she discovers a disturbing family secret. After witnessing her grandparents acting strangely (to put it mildly), she slowly uncovers what has brought them happiness. It is an unnerving revelation of ritualistic sacrifice and a whole host of other dark pledges. Now beset with this knowledge, her reality begins to crack as she questions her choices and sanity.
For the first part of this film, the question of what exactly is happening at Grammy and Grandpa's house is kept in vague shadows. There is a concerted effort to make us question whether what is happening is reality or anxiety concocting a fictional situation. Under this guise, the story is compelling. It takes time to weave uncertainty while offering us small tidbits that lead to speculation over what is happening.
Strange noises echo in the house. A door is locked. The warm airiness of the house is a pretense. All this, coupled with the peculiar behavior of the grandparents, leads to boundless speculation and, of course, ominous dread. When the film plays into the mystery, it has a chilling effect. It loses ground by showing us what's behind the door and creating what brings to mind elements of The Visit, particularly regarding the role of the grandparents.
It does its best to shock us with disturbing images. And to its credit, the film delivers unsettling visages, whether it stems from the revelation of what's behind the locked door or later when our lead goes for a walk in the woods. The film creates a frightening atmosphere; the only challenge is that the images often feel like a ploy to cover over the bends and twists in the story. There seems to be a desire to make a profound statement about society and the nature of family history, but the words become jumbled in a collage of things that go bump in the night.
While the film is certainly wacky, horror fans may relish the boldness with which the story embraces its turns. It is never a campy plunge into over-the-top theatrics but a jolt relative to the film's meticulous first half. Best Wishes To All is unlikely to garner a cult following, but it reinforces the rewarding nature of horror films. Even a misguided film can spark a flame that captures the imagination and offers a look into society's nightmares. The film falls short of the intrigue set forth at the start, but it tries its best in the end, which is still worthwhile.
Best Wishes To All will be available to stream on Shudder on June 13, 2025.
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