Before We Vanish

Shinji disappears for a few days, then returns home but is not at all like his old self. The once-boorish husband has suddenly become a friendly human being who is interested in his spouse and his surroundings. In another part of the city, a determined journalist named Sakurai comes across mysterious, puzzling clues as he investigates the brutal murder of a family. The protagonists of both these stories discover that aliens from outer space are behind the strange events that they are involved in. And they certainly do not come in peace. Kiyoshi Kurosawa is known for using clichés from a variety of genres. Before We Vanish is a fantasy film that feels like classic, old-fashioned cinema from the 1950s and 1960s. Despite this, there are certainly more elements that have a valued place in this modern sci-fi flick. Instead of making a flashy spectacle, Kurosawa creates a universal portrait of humanity in the face of extermination-with a profound, humanistic message and philosophical reflections.