Battlecry

Japan is in the grip of a new drug: Golden Monkey. This mysterious substance not only gives the user boundless energy, but also changes its victims into shadow monsters – the perfect cannon fodder for fighting wars. In the animated sci-fi drama Battlecry, Haya hopes to put an end to this crisis.

The World Bank employee is helped in this by Soji, a soldier on leave with a troubled past. Like his new comrade, he desperately wants to restore Japan to its former glory. Flashbacks to the old days, interspersed through this detective-style story, underscore the pair’s tragedy even more.

What, above all, sets Battlecry apart from other films in the genre is its highly original styling. Director Yanakaya, who made the film practically by himself, uses computer animation in a way that is at times reminiscent of 90s computer games. Rough shapes and shadows and bright colours give this drama a very original look.