Dystopian techno thriller directed by Ryuichi Sakamoto's son released in the UK

A dystopian techno thriller directed by Ryuichi Sakamoto's son, Neo Sora, has now been released in the UK.

A year after it debuted at Venice Film Festival and shortly after on silver screens across Japan, Happyend made its first outing in both the UK and US in September.

Described as a sci-fi drama set in “near-future Tokyo”, Happyend follows friends Yuta and Kou and their misadventures, driven by a techno and rave-inspired soundtrack – including a remix from Seoul experimental artist Kim Doeon.

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Kurihara Hayato, Hidaka Yukito, Ayumu Nakajima, Makiko Watanabe, and Shirō Sano each star in the 113-minute film, which also explores themes of surveillance and colonialism.

Osaka-born DJ ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U also stars in the film, who can be seen performing in front of crowds during a club scene.

In an interview with The Face, director Neo Sora says that music is used throughout the film “as a reflection of emotions”, explaining: “It’s music that communicates the scale of a historical era coming to an end.”

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Sora also compared the low-end frequencies that are present throughout the film to that of “an earthquake”, another major theme of the film. 

Speaking of his early interests in dance music and the London label Night Slugs, Sora explains: “I lived in a dorm room right above a space used for concerts. The subwoofer would rattle my bed and plates.”

Neo Sora is the son of Ryuichi Sakamoto, the late composer and member of the legendary synth band Yellow Magic Orchestra. Sora directed his father’s final-ever performance before he passed away in 2023, later using that footage in a documentary.

Watch the trailer for Happyend below.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter