“The world couldn’t go on if everyone chased their dreams.”
A young woman’s (Kotone Furukawa) visit to her grandparents leads her to uncover what truly brought them happiness, a revelation that forces her to question her choices, her mental health, and reality itself.
With Best Wishes to All (みなに幸あれ), Yûta Shimotsu delivers a film that navigates between horror and suspense to address the concept of happiness, or rather, how happiness is acquired in the world we have built.
An Allegory of Capitalism
At the heart of Best Wishes to All is the principle that one person’s happiness is built upon another’s misfortune. But isn’t that the very essence of capitalism? For one person to get rich, others must always become poorer. Thus, in a way, the essence of happiness rests on the sacrifice of others.
Whether we consider our capitalist world, or the more concrete concept within the film, there are people who want to resist. Some individuals do not wish to harm others to increase their wealth or happiness. Our heroine, and her childhood friend, refuse to capture and torture a human being in order to find happiness. Because, yes, here, to be happy, one must ensure another human is unhappy.
This, then, is the allegory that constitutes Best Wishes to All. Just as in our world, some people try to resist as best they can. But can one resist the pressure of the social system? Money is synonymous with happiness in our capitalist society, just as torture is in Yûta Shimotsu’s film universe.
Not Really a Horror Film
What’s particularly unfortunate about this feature film is that it doesn’t deliver what it promises to the viewer. It’s presented as a horror film, when it’s probably closer to a dreamlike drama.
Aside from the first 10 minutes, when the main character is still a little girl and hears strange noises coming from a room she can’t access, nothing is remotely frightening. This isn’t a problem in itself. But since the film is intended to be a horror film, one would expect there to be frightening elements. And while the idea of having to torment people to be happy is somewhat frightening, the film doesn’t truly manage to make us feel that this life context is scary.
Thus, we find ourselves floating in a narrative that doesn’t provide many thrills, even though it remains genuinely interesting. Perhaps the main problem with this film is indeed how it’s marketed to us.
A Little More…
Although Best Wishes to All is not a horror film in the way Japan usually offers us, it is not without interest. Its subject matter remains relevant, and its treatment is original.
If we forget what the film is supposed to be and focus on what it actually offers, the experience is worthwhile. After all, we don’t often see films that question capitalism in such a dramatic, not to say traumatic, way.
One could therefore say that this film deserves you dedicating an evening to watching it.
