Cloud — Japanese Film Festival 2025
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Date Reviewed: 01/12/2025
CLOUD is a 2024 Japanese psychological thriller from acclaimed filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa.
The story centres on Ryosuke Yoshii, a disillusioned factory worker who operates online under the alias “Ratel” (meaning fierce and relentless). Yoshii is a hustler by nature, manipulating and bullying his way through online sales to secure substantial profits while leaving a wake of furious retailers and disgruntled customers behind.
'Winning streaks don't last forever' as Yoshii soon discovers.
After relocating from Tokyo to the privacy of a rural setting with his girlfriend Akiko, and taking on an assistant, strange and unnerving things begin to occur. It is here that the film's tension really escalates, as in the background, Yoshii's dissatisfied customer rebels as the atmosphere grows increasingly claustrophobic.
From this point, CLOUD shifts gears. The pacing sharpens, the unease deepens, and it becomes almost impossible to look away for fear of missing a crucial moment. The final resolution delivers several unexpected turns - which you will need to discover yourself by watching (no more spoilers here).
CLOUD seeks to explore technological and social issues which have the power to manipulate and isolate individuals as they find themselves consumed by greed and paranoia.
Kurosawa uses Yoshii’s descent to explore how technology, anonymity and greed can warp behaviour, isolate individuals, and feed paranoia. The film’s slow, deliberate escalation of tension builds to a satisfying climax where its themes converge.
Masaki Suda delivers a compelling performance as Yoshii, supported strongly by Kotone Furukawa as Akiko, with Daiken Okudaira and Masataka Kubota in key supporting roles.
CLOUD was officially selected as Japan's entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2025 Academy Awards and was nominated for Best Feature Film at the Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival.
It is currently screening as part of this year's Japanese Film Festival in all major Australian cities from 27 October to the 19 December, 2025.
The film runs for 123 minutes. It contains strong violence, moderate coarse language, mild sexual references and mild themes. It is recommended for ages 15+.
Reviewed by Vincent Brincat