Scarlet Review — 'It All Comes Off as Trite'

Scarlet review – a disappointing offering from an anime legend

Mamoru Hosada sings his typical notes atypically off-key in this ambitious but messy fantasy loosely inspired by Hamlet. Across his two-decade feature career, Mamoru Hosada has stuck to a handful of thematic preoccupations. Family in all its complexity; forgiveness over revenge, and an earnest belief in the innate collective goodness of humanity. He explores these subjects via epic fantastical premises with giant emotions but keeps the character…

Scarlet review — 'It all comes off as trite'

After creating a series of parallel worlds sprung from the internet — first in Digimon, then Summer Wars and Belle — Mamoru Hosoda takes a more theological approach with his latest anime movie, Scarlet. Very loosely based on Hamlet, its vengeful princess Scarlet (former Pacific Rim child star Mana Ashida) wakes up in a strange and shimmering landscape which looks like a cluster of nerves viewed from above, announced with a droning ambient score.…

Scarlet movie review | Hamlet gets a dazzling anime makeover in Mamoru Hosoda's clunky retelling

The 2025 anime film Scarlet, directed by Japanese filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda, is coming to Irish screens this week. An ambitious reimagining of Hamlet, Scarlet is the latest in a line of Hosoda’s animated works that are known for their attempts at deep, emotionally resonant theatrics. Following on from the likes of Belle (2021) and Mirai (2018), Hosoda attempts something a bit darker and more philosophical here with Scarlet. The result is a beautif…