Directed by Chie Hayakawa (Japan, 2022, 113 min.). Japanese with English subtitles.

Japan’s submission for this year’s Academy Awards, this subtle sci-fi drama shows a near-future Japan in which a government program, Plan 75, encourages senior citizens to be voluntarily euthanized in order to remedy a society that skews older. The film follows an elderly woman who loses the means to live independently, a pragmatic salesman of Plan 75 policies, and a young Filipino caregiver as they navigate the tragedy and complexity of life under Plan 75.

“Unfolds with chilling subtlety.… It’s a plaintive wail that sneaks up on you, with its minimal dialogue and gentle poetic realism that makes its near-future dystopia feel just like our present, complete with government-sponsored health-service tents lining the streets.” —Vulture

Watch the trailer.