Look Back

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Hirokazu Kore-eda directs. Senzo Ueno behind the camera. Yuta Bandoh scores. Hirokazu Kore-eda cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 1Released this year — you're seeing it while it's still in the cultural conversation.
• 2Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, shot by Senzo Ueno. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 3Original score by Yuta Bandoh. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 4Editor Hirokazu Kore-eda shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 5Natsuki Deguchi and Aju Makita and Fuuri Nanase carry the top of the cast.
• 6Marketing tagline: ""Keep your eyes on my back and you'll grow too."".
• 7IMDB entry: tt39094466 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 8Only 15 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
• 9Classified under 17 themes, including "high school", "friendship", "affectation", "female friendship".

The technical file

Cinematography

Senzo Ueno

Original score

Yuta Bandoh

Editing

Hirokazu Kore-eda

Production design

Shinsuke Kojima

Costume design

Sachiko Ito

Makeup / hair

Katsuhiko Yuhmi

VFX supervisor

Linto Ueda

Runtime

100 min · 1h 40m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Box office

$929,800

Original language

JA

IMDB

Look Back (2026) ↗

Also by

Hirokazu Kore-eda

• 
  Nobody Knows

  2004 · ★ 8.0
• 
  Monster

  2023 · ★ 7.9
• 
  Asura

  2025 · ★ 7.9
• 
  Shoplifters

  2018 · ★ 7.8
• 
  Still Walking

  2008 · ★ 7.8
• 
  A Day-Off of Kasumi Arimura

  2020 · ★ 7.8

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper Wallpaper Wallpaper Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  Official Trailer [ENG SUB]

  Trailer · Official
• 

  ▶
  Official Teaser Trailer [ENG SUB]

  Teaser · Official
• 

  ▶
  Director Kore-eda's Comment [ENG SUB]

  Featurette · Official
• 

  ▶
  Official Trailer

  Trailer · Official

Production companies

Who made it

• 

  K2 Pictures

  JP

• 

  Shueisha

  JP

Key crew

• Production DesignShinsuke Kojima
• Costume DesignSachiko Ito
• Assistant DirectorKensei Nakayama
• Script SupervisorRyoko Taguchi
• EditorHirokazu Kore-eda
• Lighting DirectorMasachio Nishida
• CastingYoko Yamashita
• CastingToshie Tabata
• Line ProducerShinichiro Muraoka
• ProducerDaiju Koide
• Visual Effects SupervisorLinto Ueda
• Original StoryTatsuki Fujimoto
• Hair SupervisorKatsuhiko Yuhmi
• Makeup SupervisorKatsuhiko Yuhmi
• Sound RecordistKazuhiko Tomita
• SongsToko Miura
• Executive ProducerMuneyuki Kii

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• high school
• friendship
• affectation
• female friendship
• coming of age
• teenage girl
• middle school
• based on manga
• recluse
• alternate timeline
• mangaka
• cherry blossom
• intimate
• empathetic
• gentle
• sincere
• tragic

Release history · US

When it landed

• Premiere2026-09-27· Beyond Fest
• Premiere2026-10-03· Mill Valley Film Festival
• Premiere2026-10-17· New Hampshire Film Festival / Chicago International Film Festival / Montclair Film Festival
• Premiere2026-10-21· Newport Beach Film Festival
• Premiere2026-10-16· Orcas Island Film Festival
• Premiere2026-10-15· Santa Fe International Film Festival
• Premiere2026-10-29· Hawai'i International Film Festival
• Premiere2026-10-10· IFFBoston Fall Focus
• Premiere2026-10-23· Refocus Film Festival
• Premiere2026-10-24· SCAD Savannah Film Festival

Also known as

International titles

• Look BackUS
• Rukku BakkuJP
• ลุค แบ็คTH