Review - Scarlet
Directed by: Mamoru Hosoda
Written by: Mamoru Hosoda
Starring: Mana Ashida, Masaki Okada, Koji Yakusho
Running Time: 111 Minutes
Rating: 3.5/5
Scarlet is an engaging, wildly imaginative adventure that feels like it should not work nearly as well as it does. Set after the events of Hamlet, the film reimagines the tragedy through a gender-swapped lens, with Scarlet taking up the mantle of revenge and chasing Claudius into the Otherworld. It is bold, strange, and oddly sincere in its ambitions.
The film pulls together a collection of elements that feel almost custom-built for me. A medieval fantasy setting, sweeping epic storytelling, and strikingly beautiful animation packed with standout imagery. I was an easy mark. This Hamlet-inspired action-adventure follows a princess navigating the underworld in pursuit of her father’s killer, constantly walking the fine line between vengeance and forgiveness. The emotional conflict is familiar, but the presentation makes it feel fresh.
What makes Scarlet especially compelling is how comfortably it embraces its own contradictions. Japan and Shakespeare. It embraces the contrast of ideas it brings to the table. The film does not shy away from the theatrical roots of its inspiration, yet it frames them through a distinctly Japanese mythological and visual sensibility.
Mamoru Hosoda brings a fluid elegance to the storytelling. The animation is lush and expressive, with several sequences that feel designed to linger in your memory long after the film ends. Scarlet’s journey through time and space allows for constant visual reinvention, and the film takes full advantage of that freedom.
If the narrative occasionally feels overstuffed, it is largely forgivable. The film is juggling revenge tragedy, fantasy epic, and philosophical meditation all at once. Not every thread lands with equal force, but the overall effect is something special. There is real care in how Scarlet’s internal struggle is framed, especially as the film resists offering simple answers about justice and closure.
Scarlet is strange, ambitious, and frequently beautiful. A film that blends classic literature with modern anime sensibilities in ways that feel risky and inspired rather than gimmicky. It may not fully escape the weight of its many ideas, but it delivers an experience that is rich, adventurous, and emotionally sincere.
