Carlos Aguilar’s Overlooked Films of 2022 | Features

Both the lovingly grumpy father (Mohammad Hassan Madjooni) and unabashedly adoring mother (Pantea Panahiha) try to conceal their worry and keep morale high. They don’t want to burden their final moments together with the heaviness of sorrow. Yet, the closer they get to the destination of the young man’s departure, the more difficult it becomes to smile. Throughout the journey, the clan’s youngest son (Rayan Sarlak) is a source of humorous irreverence and infectious energy. In the most striking child performance in recent memory, Sarlak doesn’t portray unsophisticated innocence, but a real personality with acerbic notes that elevate the character’s charm.

Panahi’s bittersweet tone is magical, and it unites seemingly disparate parts such as an amusing musical number, and even a whimsical sequence beyond the confines of our planet. “Hit the Road” celebrates a love that, even when unspoken or across the limitations of geography, can never truly be disconnected.

“Inu-Oh”

In a banner year for animated features, with masters and masters-in-the-making debuting major achievements, prolific and eclectic Japanese director Masaaki Yuasa stuns with his most narratively ambitious and visually propulsive work to date. This dazzling rock opera set in the 14th century plays with anachronistic elements and features high-octane animation in a marvelous whirlwind of stadium-ready songs.

Cursed since birth, Inu-oh hides behind a mask. Destiny, however, will cross his path with that of Tomona, an accomplished blind musician and biwa priest: an itinerant performer in ancient Japan who would disseminate powerful narratives. Together they travel across the land to put on shows for the masses where Inu-oh’s dancing and Tomona’s lyrics transcend the bounds of live music to become breathtaking, nearly otherworldly events. Soon, their successful act garners plenty of fans, and some terrifying enemies.