“Suzume,” a new animated feature written and directed by Makoto Shinkai, is now playing in theaters throughout the Southland.
“Suzume” is a coming-of-age story for the 17-year-old protagonist, Suzume (voiced by Nanoka Hara), set in various disaster-stricken locations across Japan. Her journey begins in a quiet town in Kyushu, where she encounters a young man, Souta (Hokuto Matsumura), who tells her, “I’m looking for a door.”
What Suzume finds is a single weathered door standing upright in the midst of ruins as though it was shielded from whatever catastrophe struck. Seemingly drawn by its power, Suzume reaches for the knob. Doors begin to open one after another all across Japan, unleashing destruction upon any who are near. Suzume must close these portals to prevent further disaster.
Released by Toho, “Suzume” is the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2022 in Japan and a nominee for best film at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Shinkai is known for such films as “The Place Promised in Our Early Days” (2004), “5 Centimeters Per Second” (2007), “Children Who Chase Lost Voices” (2011), “The Garden of Words” (2013), “Your Name” (2016) and “Weathering with You” (2019).
Both subtitled and dubbed versions of “Suzume” are being shown at area theaters, including the following in Los Angeles County:
Cinemark Carson and XD, 20700 S. Avalon Blvd., Carson
Harkins Theatres Cerritos 16, 600 Los Cerritos Center, Cerritos
Cinemark Downey and XD,8840 Apollo Way, Downey
LOOK Dine-in Cinemas Downey, 8200 3rd St., Downey
Cinemark at The Pike Outlets and XD, 99 S. Pine Ave., Long Beach
AMC Marina Pacifica 12, 6346 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach
Regal Edwards Long Beach ScreenX and IMAX, 7501 E. Carson Blvd., Long Beach
Cinemark Baldwin Hills Crenshaw and XD, 4020 Marlton Ave., Los Angeles
Cinemark 18 and XD, 6081 Center Dr., Los Angeles
Regal LA Live, 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Downtown Los Angeles, 750 W. 7th St., Los Angeles
Cinemark Playa Vista and XD, 12746 W. Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles
AMC Marina Marketplace 6, 4335 Glencoe, Marina Del Rey
AMC Norwalk 20, 12300 E. Civic Center Dr., Norwalk
AMC Dine-in South Bay Galleria 16, 1815 Hawthorne Blvd., Redondo Beach
Regal Promenade, 550 Deep Valley Dr., Rolling Hills Estates
Regal Edwards South Gate, 8630 Garfield Ave., South Gate
AMC Del Amo 18, 3525 Carson St., Torrance
AMC Rolling Hills 20, 2591 Airport Dr., Torrance
Info: www.suzume-movie.com