Released:
Rating:
Running Time:
1 hour 26 minutes
Director:
Writer:
Cast:
Country:
Sex & Nudity:
None
Violence & Gore:
None
Profanity:
None
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking:
Mild
Frightening & Intense Scenes:
None
WATCHED: April 11, 2026.
The one-hundred-year-old Fujiya inn stands in the quiet region of Kyoto. Mikoto is standing in front of the Kibune river at the back of the building when she is called back to work. But two minutes later, she finds herself back at the river again. The whole inn seems to be stuck in a time loop!
Another “two minutes”
My Two Cents
Ang River ay may simple lamang na konsepto pero alam mong pigang-piga ang creativity sa bawat eksena nito. Ang kuwento ay umikot sa isang two-minute time loop sa isang tahimik na riverside inn, pero hindi mo mararamdaman na ito ay repetitive at sa halip ay nagiging mas magulo at masaya habang ito ay nangyayari. Nag stand out ang pelikula dahil sa tight na pagkakagawa ng lahat – bawat galaw, bawat linya ay parang sinadya na kailangan mong makita at marinig. Nakaka-impress ang precision ng technical aspect ng pelikula kung iisipin mo kung paano ginawa ang bawat eksena.
Mas nagustuhan ko ang unang pelikulang ginawa ng director at writer na Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes. Hindi ko alam kung dahil ba una ko itong napanood at may ilang pagkakahawig ang dalawa kaya medyo nagmukhang predictable nang kaunti ang River lalo na sa revelation sa dulo. Pero ganunpaman, must watch pa din ang pelikula na ito. It’s short, sharp, and surprisingly satisfying.
“This way, please. As quickly as possible! The cause turned out to be very physical. It’s hard for even me to fathom so take a look instead.“
Eiji (Yoshifumi Sakai)
Who would enjoy this?
- Fans ng mga clever time-loop stories
- Fans ng Japanese indie cinema at ng creative low-budget filmmaking
- Mga manonood na nag-eenjoy sa fast-paced, dialogue-driven films at bihira ang downtime
- Mga may gusto ng experimental storytelling mula sa isang simpleng setting
- Mga gusto ng palaisipan ng kuwento kung saan mahalaga ang bawat detalye
Who might not vibe with this?
- Mga manonood na mas gusto ang big-budget visuals at action-heavy na mga eksena
- Mga naiinip sa paulit-ulit na eksena
- Mga tao na gusto ng clear at fully explained sci-fi rules
- Sa mga mas gusto ang straightforward at linear na plots
North of Nowhere
South of Somewhere
My favorite workout is the 45-minute cardio session spent scrolling through movies until I give up and watch the same one for the 12th time.
My social life lately is like a high-end limited release: very exclusive, rarely happens, and mostly involves me staying home to avoid the commute.
“Wait, I have to restart the song, I wasn’t listening hard enough” is a perfectly valid reason to be two minutes late to anything.