In an attempt to come to terms with their grief, a couple welcome a humanoid robot version of their deceased son into their home. Under the characteristically subtle and nuanced direction of Kore-Eda, what begins as a thoughtful study of parental emotion and loss subtly transforms into a thematically rich and thorny exploration of artificial intelligence, our responsibility with it and towards it and what the future might look like with this technology as a part of daily life. Part human drama, part grounded sci-fi, this beautifully acted and moving film asks many complex questions whilst never losing its core humanity and pathos. -Paul Ridd