Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (2021)

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (2021)

Three separate stories intertwined with themes of love and fate

The Very Best

8.9

Movie

Japan
Japanese
Drama, Romance
2021
RYUSUKE HAMAGUCHI
Aoba Kawai, Aoba Kawai 河井清叶, Ayumu Nakajima
121 min

What it's about

An unexpected love triangle, a seduction trap, and a random encounter are the three episodes, told in three movements to depict three female characters and trace the trajectories between their choices and regrets.

The take

From Drive My Car director Ryusuke Hamaguchi comes another film featuring long drives, thoughtful talks, and unexpected twists. An anthology of three short stories, Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy ponders over ideas of love, fate, and the all-too-vexing question, “what if?” 

What if you didn’t run away from the one you love? What if you didn’t give in to lust that fateful day? What if, right then and there, you decide to finally forgive?

Big questions, but without sacrificing depth, Hamaguchi does the incredible task of making every single second feel light and meaningful. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy will leave you with mixed emotions: excited, startled, dejected, hopeful. But one thing you won’t feel is regret over watching this instant classic of a film.

Comments

Add a comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

Falling in Love Like in Movies (2023)

A contemplative Indonesian romance film that rewrites and re-examines the genre’s conventions

8.4

The Farewell (2019)

Awkwafina shines in this complex culture clash comedy.

9.1

The Beauty Inside (2015)

A slightly impossible, but sweet, romance drama that believes in love despite changing faces

7.0

The Parades (2024)

Michihito Fujii reimagines a peaceful, communal afterlife in this slice-of-life supernatural drama

7.2

2046 (2004)

The inventive sequel to In the Mood for Love

7.7

Rohan at the Louvre (2023)

A riveting supernatural mystery contemplating Japanese art in relation to the world

8.2

maboroshi (2023)

Time, but not people, stands still in this surreal yet strange Japanese fantasy film

7.6

Drive My Car (2021)

A poignant, meandering tale of art, love, and loss

8.9

Asako I & II (2018)

A quietly surreal meditation on love and the people it transforms us into

8.0

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.