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| Images courtesy of Third Window Films |
Director Junta Yamaguchi's previous film, Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (2020), was a quirky breakout low-budget hit that used its sci-fi time travel premise in various clever ways. In that film, the characters had the ability to see two minutes into the future, and the script built on that premise exponentially, with a large dose of humor infused into the wacky atmosphere. In his newest film, River (2023), Yamaguchi is still working with a two-minute time limit, but now it's a time loop that has imprisoned the inhabitants of Fujiya, a sleepy, snow-dusted inn in Kibune, Kyoto.
The story centers on Mikoto (Riko Fujitani), a waitress at the inn. During a slow afternoon shift, she goes outside to take a breather at the Kibune River, located right outside the building. After finishing her break, she goes back inside to tend to her duties, but exactly two minutes later, she is warped to her previous position, standing at the edge of the river. Although she is initially disoriented and confused, she again tries to go about her day, but two minutes later, it happens again; she is back where she started by the water. It appears that the inn, the area around it, and all of the people are trapped in a two-minute long time loop. Fortunately, everyone keeps their memories each time it repeats, but nobody can figure out why it's happening.
Time loops as a concept feel inherently scary, tapping into primal existential horror. Stephen King once said, "There's an idea that hell is other people. My idea is that it might be repetition." Initially, the characters are running around scared and panicked as they grapple with the enormity of their situation. Eventually, they calm down a bit, and the staff decides that the best thing to do is serve their guests to the best of their abilities; time loop be damned.
The mood is lighthearted for most of the runtime as all the characters adapt to their situation. Two guests are stuck eating rice together in their room, and their constant refilling of rice bowls is a delight at first, but it quickly turns to dismay when they get tired of eating the same thing repeatedly. One guest is confined to the bathhouse, and the time loop is too short for him to rinse the soap out of his hair, so he's always running around with suds on his scalp. Even though most of the characters are one-note, they are delightfully depicted and easy to care about.
On a technical level, River is well shot and dynamic, even though the entire film takes place in one location. Time travel, as a general concept, is infused with paradoxes, but they do a great job with the smaller details. Every character starts their loop in a different location, and they can only get to places two minutes away, so it's amusing to see how they overcome this limitation to meet up with each other and get things done. As the loop goes on, however, a few grim details start popping up, with people becoming suicidal and giving in to darker urges since everything is reset at the end of the loop.
Thematically, River feels more philosophical and poignant than Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes. It explores mortality, regret, and trepidation about the future and changes, with each character harboring fears inside them that they are scared to vocalize. Mikoto is dating one of the staff and his uncertainty about their future together informs her actions, painting the time loop as a chance for them to reconcile perhaps. Can a relationship survive infinity, or does evolution and the passage of time enhance it?
River is a heartfelt and ingenious take on time loops and makes an excellent companion piece to Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes.
Third Window Films Blu-ray Extras:
• Interview with director Junta Yamaguchi
• 1 hour long Making Of
• Trailer
• Region Free
--Michelle Kisner