Knock on Wood

Strange phenomena often occur in the world of film; my personal favorite is when a movie I’d never heard of blazes onto the scene so unexpectedly and yet so confidently, racks up an impressive portfolio of reviews, and practically demands to be seen. It’s happened many times this year (Kneecap, In a Violent Nature, Thelma), but nothing in the past few months has been as intriguing as Look Back.

Based on a one-shot web manga from Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto, Look Back debuted with an extremely limited run in very few theaters in October, and immediately caught my attention, garnering a rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and a valued spot on the Letterboxd Top 250. It’s streaming now on Amazon Prime, and so it was about high time I finally sat down and gave it my full attention.

I wouldn’t say I’m “into” anime the same way much of my generation is, but I will admit to being captivated by many of the revered genre offerings. The obvious citation here would be anything produced by Studio Ghibli (it’s the most well-known anime in American culture), but I’ve massively enjoyed shows like Death Note, Cowboy Bebop, and Neon Genesis Evangelion. I haven’t read or seen Chainsaw Man, but that’s another wildly popular series, so it makes sense that Look Back would be anticipated by anime fans over here in the States.

Running at a breezy 58 minutes (the perfect runtime), Look Back is a movie about art. More specifically, it’s a compelling argument for the power of art to transcend space and time and connect with the deepest parts of ourselves. Ostensibly, it’s a years-spanning countryside epic that follows schoolgirl and talented artist Ayumu Fujino (voiced by Yuumi Kawai in Japanese and Valerie Lohman in the English dub), who partners up with Kyomoto (Mizuki Yoshida in Japanese, Grace Lu in English), a reclusive fellow student who also has a passion for art. Together, the two foster their skills and become established manga writers, all while experiencing the highs and lows of young friendship.

Trust me when I say that Look Back goes in some incredibly unexpected directions, all of which track when you look at how manga and anime stories tend to disregard typical western storytelling structures. It’s a fascinating watch, not just because you’re never quite sure what’s going to happen next, but also because the hand-drawn animation is spectacularly beautiful – more often than not, characters are walking on dirt roads and past gorgeous structures that are almost as ravishing as Kyomoto’s background drawings. The voice work is excellent, too; I watched it in the original Japanese, but films released by GKIDS (the go-to stateside distributor for anime) tend to have excellent dubs, and I’m sure Look Back is no different.

And if I didn’t have enough to be impressed about, Look Back continues to be absolutely riveting by tapping into a feeling that Ghibli films like Whisper of the Heart and My Neighbor Totoro capture so well: there’s an unhindered beauty in watching people go about their daily lives. If you frame it in the right way and put effort into their surroundings, a walk to and from school can be one of the most captivating things you’ve ever seen. The film is directed by Kiyotaka Oshiyama, who was also in charge of the screenplay and character designs, and the synergy between departments is evident; everyone involved in this film is on the same page, and that passion shines through.

I love movies about art, and I love Look Back. Even if I wasn’t on board with every one of its story turns, the film knows how to emblemize its heart in a way that will pleasantly surprise even the most astute viewers. For that reason (and many others like it), it hit much harder than I expected.

Look Back is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.