“Based on the true story of four children abandoned by their mother in a small Tokyo apartment, Hirokazu Kore-eda’s fourth film is at once harrowing and tender, an urban horror story with overtones of fairy tale. Restricting himself to the children’s point of view, the director creates an almost unbearable sense of dread in the audience; you can’t help but suspect that, at every moment, something terrible is about to happen. But at the same time, because the children themselves do not perceive the full terribleness of their situation, the terror is mitigated by a sense of wonder and adventure. The keys to this meticulous and deeply humane film are Mr. Kore-eda’s deft camera sense and the remarkable performance of 12-year-old Yuya Yagira as Akira, the oldest of the four siblings, who must somehow preserve his own innocence while protecting his more vulnerable brother and sisters.” – A. O. SCOTT.