Hiroyuki Negishi

Hiroyuki Negishi might not be the first name that pops up in a casual movie night convo, but, man, he’s got some weirdly memorable titles up his sleeve. Let’s start with “Tokyo!” from 2008—this one’s like a fever dream wrapped in three bizarre shorts, all mashed together by different directors. Negishi didn’t direct the whole thing, but his fingerprints are all over the vibe, injecting that off-kilter, slightly surreal energy that leaves you guessing what’s real and what’s just Tokyo being Tokyo. It’s the kind of movie where a dude might turn into furniture, and you just roll with it. Jump to “Ghost Cat Anzu” (2024), and suddenly we’re knee-deep in supernatural territory. This flick’s got that classic Japanese ghost story flair, but it’s not all doom and gloom. There’s a weird warmth to it—like, yeah, there’s a ghost cat, but also, there’s this bittersweet look at grief, family, and moving on. Negishi doesn’t shy away from mixing the cute and the creepy, either. One minute you’re laughing at a mischievous feline spirit, the next you’re tearing up over some heartfelt moment about loss. It’s a rollercoaster, but the good kind. And then there’s “Gekkô no Sasayaki” (1999), which might just be peak late-90s Japanese cinema: moody, atmospheric, kinda sexy, and a little bit tragic. Negishi’s got a knack for teasing out these raw, complicated emotions from his characters, letting their stories unravel in a way that feels messy and real. No tidy endings here—just a slow burn that sticks with you. If you’re into films that don’t play it safe, Negishi’s work is worth a deep dive.