Harmonium

Fukada Koji has made a home invasion thriller with the subtle stylistic qualities of a family drama. In Harmonium, an old acquaintance mysteriously appears on Toshio’s doorstep, asking for work and shelter. Unconvinced, Toshio, his wife Akia and their daughter Hotaru nevertheless take in the man, who is just out of jail, and allow him to work in the small factory they live above.
The starting point for this story chimes with Hospitalité, Fukada’s 2011 black comedy, but has darker undertones. When an inexplicable tragedy takes place, Fukada doesn’t show the direct consequences but rather fast-forwards eight years. We find the couple struggling with feelings of guilt and vengeance. The arrival of a another person, also looking for work in their factory, re-opens old wounds.