Skip to main content

Labyrinth (2026)


Labyrinth is an anime film about a girl's dreams of stardom turning into a mission to save the planet from brainrot. It is directed by Shôji Kawamori, who has been involved with the Macross franchise since the 1980s and also worked in the art department on the original Ghost in the Shell, so he is definitely a veteran of Japanese animation. Writer Taichi Hashimoto is not nearly as well known, but if Kawamori liked the script enough to turn it into a movie, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, the premise feels like it should be more universally entertaining than it actually is.

The only voice actor I immediately recognized was Tomokazu Sugita, who has been in an enormous number of anime and games. You might recognize him as Gyomei from Demon Slayer or Yusuke Kitagawa from Persona 5. He brings the kind of recognizable voice presence you'd expect from someone with such an extensive resume, although there was not really a performance that stood out enough to carry the movie.

The main actress, Suzuka, is also a singer from the pop group Atarashii Gakko!, although I have never listened to their music. She has not appeared in much outside of that, which makes sense considering how young she is. She does a decent job in the role, but this is not exactly a performance that made me want to seek out her other work.

Maaya Sakamoto also appears in the film and is probably the other voice most likely to be recognizable to Western audiences. She is better known for playing Aerith in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and Tamayo in Demon Slayer. As expected from someone with her experience, she fits naturally into the anime's world, although even her presence cannot completely overcome some of the film's writing problems.

There is a lot of weirdness here that feels like it could only come from Japan. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but there are definitely moments that feel like something was lost in translation and perhaps only people from Japan will fully appreciate them. You would think a premise about brainrot and saving the planet would be pretty universal, but I found myself sitting through quite a bit of dialogue that felt more like fluff added to bloat the runtime than anything that actually moved the story forward. The one thing I can say without hesitation is that the artwork is beautiful. There are some genuinely impressive visuals throughout the movie.

Overall, Labyrinth has a bizarre and interesting premise, beautiful animation, and some experienced talent behind it, but it never completely comes together. The cultural quirks can be entertaining, but too much of the dialogue feels like filler, and I never found myself invested enough to want to revisit it. I don't think I'll watch Labyrinth again, and I wouldn't recommend it to most people. The art is probably the strongest reason to give it a look, but there just isn't enough underneath it to make the experience particularly memorable. Result: C+

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Uprising (2026)

The Uprising is written and directed by Paul Greengrass , and the film certainly looks the part. The costumes, dialogue, and scenery all do a great job of establishing the time period and making the world feel authentic. Unfortunately, the movie has a frustrating habit of taking scenes that could have been much shorter and dragging them out until you are simply waiting for something to happen. Andrew Garfield does a great job leading the film and proves he still has what it takes to carry a movie on his shoulders. His performance reminded me of his work in Silence and Hacksaw Ridge , where he is able to bring a lot of emotional weight to a character without completely overplaying it. The problem is that the movie occasionally focuses on minor characters who do not have the same level of delivery. When the camera stays on them for too long, the cracks in the dialogue and performances become much more obvious. Jamie Bell , who you may remember from Jumper , does a decent job as a supp...
Post a Comment
Read more

Clayface (2026)

Clayface is a body horror movie set in James Gunn's DC Universe, and it ended up being a pleasant surprise for me. I grew up watching Batman: The Animated Series on Saturday mornings, so I remember Clayface and his strange, monster-like appearance. I had no idea going in that this movie would draw inspiration from the show, which made that connection all the more enjoyable. The animated series leaned more into noir, while this film feels closer to Joker mixed with the body horror of David Cronenberg . Director James Watkins , best known for Speak No Evil , brings that same unsettling energy and deliberate direction to this film. He also makes the smart choice of keeping the camera on his actors long enough for their performances to do the work, specifically Naomi Ackie and Tom Rhys Harries . Tom Rhys Harries gets the benefit of that approach, with the camera giving him room to carry his scenes without constantly cutting away. That decision suits the movie's more intimate...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Mortuary Assistant (2026)

The Mortuary Assistant is directed by Jeremiah Kipp and written by Tracee Beebe and Brian Clarke , adapting Clarke's video game of the same name for the big screen. From a directing standpoint, there is nothing particularly remarkable, but there is also very little that stands out as a misstep. Kipp keeps the film moving at a steady pace and delivers the expected scares without relying too heavily on cheap tricks. The screenplay, however, wears its inspirations on its sleeve, often feeling like a retread of Evil Dead (2013), borrowing many of the same possession and demonic horror beats but adding enough of its own identity. Willa Holland , known for Legion and Arrow , plays the film's protagonist. She delivers a competent performance and handles the role professionally, but much like the direction itself, there is little that leaves a lasting impression. She carries the film well enough without elevating the material, making for a serviceable lead in a story that never fu...
Post a Comment
Read more