‘Monster’ Becomes Available for Sell-Through Feb. 27, on Digital March 12, on Blu-ray April 9

From internationally-acclaimed, award-winning director Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters, Broker) comes the highly-lauded drama MONSTER, available for early sell-through on February 27, then available on Digital March 12, before debuting on Blu-ray^™ April 9 from Well Go USA Entertainment. After learning a teacher is bullying her son, a mother demands answers, eventually resorting to legal action. But as the truth is gradually revealed, it proves more complex than anyone imagined. The film’s screenplay was written by Sakamoto Yuji (In Love and Deep Water), with music by late Academy Award^®-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto (Best Music, Original Score, The Last Emperor, 1988).  The cast of MONSTER includes Ando Sakura (Shoplifters), Nagayama Eita (Undercurrent), newcomer Kurokawa Soya, and Hiiragi Hinata (One Second Ahead, One Second Behind).

At the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, MONSTER was nominated for the prestigious Palme D’Or and won the screenplay award and the Queer Palm award.  Following its North American debut at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, MONSTER garnered critical accolades at numerous festivals, including Chicago (Gold Q-Hugo Award winner), Mill Valley, Newport Beach (Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Actor), Vancouver (Audience Award), and the Hamptons.

Synopsis:       

After a mother (Ando Sakura) discovers that a teacher’s bullying is behind her young son’s sudden strange behavior, she storms into his school demanding an explanation. Continually left without satisfactory answers—and with an increasingly distressed child—she furiously escalates her concerns to the school board and the media. But as the story unfolds through the multilayered perspectives of mother, teacher, and child, the real truth gradually emerges—and proves much more complex than anyone could have expected.

Country of Origin:    Japan

MONSTER has a runtime of approximately 126 minutes and is rated PG-13 for thematic material and brief suggestive material.