All Lives (2024) Review: A Quiet Japanese Drama About Life, Death, and Finding Hope

 

All Lives (Original title: Ikitoshi Ikerumono) | 2024 | 1h 49m
Genre: Drama | Country: Japan
Director: Ryūichi Hiroki | Writer: Eriko Kitagawa
Starring: Yuna Chinen, Tomoyo Harada, Hikari Mitsushima
IMDb: 6.7
My Rating: 9/10

Sakura takes Naruse, a patient who has been told he has only three months left to live, on a journey to help him enjoy the little time he has left after the two share a long conversation about death. However, what begins as a way to bring an end to suffering gradually changes both of their perspectives on life.

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Content Warning:

Alcohol, strong language

Synopsis:

Sakura is devastated when she learns that the head doctor has told Naruse he is expected to have only about three months left to live. Her fears soon become reality. Naruse gradually loses the will to keep living, believing that everything he has endured has stripped his life of its meaning.

Hoping to restore that desire to live, Sakura asks Naruse to write down ten things he wants to do before he dies. Yet he cannot think of a single wish. The only thing he wants is to breathe fresh air again after spending so long confined to a hospital bed.

Sakura eventually takes Naruse out of the hospital, bringing with them two bottles of potassium they had prepared to end his life. Their journey leads them back to Naruse's hometown, revisiting places that once shaped his life and awakening memories that had long been forgotten. But when Naruse finally believes he has found the ending he wants and asks Sakura to inject the potassium, they are both forced to face an impossible decision.

Will their journey change the choice they made from the very beginning?

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Review:

Suffering, illness, hardship, and life's painful experiences often make us forget that there are still many things worth being grateful for. That is the central idea behind All Lives (2024). Through its simple and understated storytelling, the film invites us to pause for a moment and reconsider the meaning of life through the eyes of people standing remarkably close to death.

The main characters are introduced naturally. Sakura, a doctor still haunted by her failure to save a patient, crosses paths with Naruse, a man who has been told he has only about three months left to live. Their relationship develops gradually and organically, creating a strong emotional foundation for the journey that follows.

The conflict begins to emerge as the shadow of death slowly changes the way they view life. Naruse loses his desire to keep living after learning how little time he has left. At the same time, Sakura struggles with her own emotional conflict as she watches her patient slowly give up on life.

Sakura is not only confronted by Naruse's despair but also by the guilt she has carried since a failed surgery in her past. That experience leads her to question the meaning of her role as a doctor. While dedicating her life to saving others, she is forced to accept that there are limits no one can overcome.

It is the meeting of these two wounded souls that becomes the film's greatest strength. The story unfolds quietly, without emotional outbursts or excessive melodrama, yet it gradually reaches the audience on a deeply emotional level. Their journey is not merely a trip back to places from Naruse's past, but a journey toward rediscovering life, death, and the memories that shape who they are.

The emotional climax is handled beautifully and leaves a lasting impression. Unfortunately, the closing section after the climax feels slightly less satisfying because much of it is delivered through narration rather than being shown directly. The emotional build-up is so powerful that it naturally leaves the audience hoping for an ending that carries the same emotional weight.

Another strength of the film lies in its meaningful dialogue and carefully crafted scenes. It encourages viewers to reflect on many things, from the fear of death and the desire to give up to the reasons people choose to keep living. These ideas are presented with remarkable simplicity, never feeling preachy or forced.

The performances are another major highlight. The experience of the veteran cast allows every emotion to feel genuine, while the chemistry between the characters is convincing enough to make their relationship feel completely authentic.

From a technical standpoint, the camera movement, close-up compositions, color palette, transitions, and musical score all complement the story beautifully. The narrative is also structured in a clear and thoughtful way, making the characters' emotional journey easy to follow without sacrificing its emotional depth.

All Lives does not attempt to provide answers about death. Instead, it encourages us to look back at the life we often overlook when overwhelmed by pain and despair. Perhaps we cannot choose when life will end, but we can still choose how we spend the time we have left. And perhaps that is the film's most meaningful message.

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Most Memorable Scene:

Naruse finally gives up and asks Sakura to inject the potassium they had prepared. With trembling hands, Sakura picks up the vial. But the closer she comes to doing it, the harder it becomes for her to accept what is about to happen. The sadness she has been holding back finally breaks through. In the middle of her emotional struggle, all she can say is that she still wants to see Naruse stay alive.

When someone is living through unbearable suffering, death can sometimes seem like an escape from the pain. Yet behind that decision, there are often people who are quietly not ready to let them go. We may only think about bringing an end to our own suffering, forgetting that our absence will leave behind grief for those who love us. That pain may eventually become easier to carry, but it never truly disappears from their lives.

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Memorable Quote:

"Won't you try to live before you die?"

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Ending:

Bittersweet Ending

 
Recommendation:

Must Watch

(Aluna Uwie)

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