Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy

Director Hamaguchi (Happy Hour, 2015) is a master of twisting expectations. Each story is a collision between two people, leading to shocking and unexpectedly moving outcomes. A model gossips with her friend about a relationship that is closer to home than either of them could have anticipated. A mature age student sets a honey trap for a professor, only to be confronted by his candour. The final story, shot during Japan's COVID lockdown, is set in the near future. Two women, separated for decades, reunite in an emptied Tokyo – before making a startling discovery. These magical tales of chance and desire are tempered by Hamaguchi's naturalistic style – each not-quite romance fully conveys the messy, miraculous nature of life.