I fell in love with Makoto Ueda’s writing during my first Fantasia Film Festival in 2021. I have watched Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes at least a dozen times while introducing new friends to the movie. So, I was obviously excited to see he was back with You Are the Film, a movie he wrote and directed. Luckily, it was worth the wait. It is a highlight of Fantasia 2026 and is one of my favorite films of the year (so far).
Who? What? When? Where?
This gem finds writer Madoka (Marika Ito) and musician Kazuma (Kai Inowaki) deciding to go to the cinema. Two strangers having a similar need to see a movie is not uncommon and happens regularly. What should be an ordinary experience becomes anything but that as they realize they are each other’s film. Their interactions, breaking the fourth wall for each other, help them form a bond as they attempt to figure out what’s going on. They eventually begin to help each other strive for a better outcome for their respective movies, as they offer an outside perspective. This triggers fantastical events that lead to their two movies colliding as they mix genres, and eventually to a fascinating conclusion.
Obviously, the cast does a stellar job, and everyone seems to be having fun. As is Ueda’s aesthetic, the film is made cheaply, but never feels like it suffers for it. If anything, his love of screens and ordinary objects as tools to encourage audiences and cast to access their imagination is inspiring. Many of us feel like we can’t make films, and Ueda continues to prove that we just have to be creative enough with our resources. It’s equally inspiring and endearing in a way sci-fi used to be in my day.
Let Ueda Cook
Ueda stays in the Japanese sci-fi comedy realm and continues toying with time in You Are the Film. However, he’s still finding new ways to play with form, space, and the audience. As a recovering playwright, I love that Ueda brings that theatrical sense of wonder and rule-breaking to his films. He takes the mundane and makes it into the kind of magical realism that leaves even the most cynical person experiencing a sense of wonderment. Life is awful, and we live in the worst timeline. However, there is something about You Are the Film (and Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes) that also reminds you there is magic even during the most dire times.
We’re All Stories…
I complain often about Main Character Syndrome and people in general. However, You Are the Film wants us to remember that we are all art. As a Whovian, I couldn’t help but remember the 11th Doctor’s quote, “We’re all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?” Maybe I’m just getting sentimental in old age, or perhaps this movie caught me at the right part of Sad Girl Summer. Whatever the case, this is a very cool reminder that we can all make someone’s day better, and life is worth living. Don’t get me wrong.
There are so many arguments to be made about this movie delving into what we owe art vs. what art owes us. Yet, I choose to take this quirky 68-minute moment and head for the high road. You Are the Film lets you choose your experience as it marches to the beat of its own drummer.
Makoto Ueda’s directorial debut is the shot of whimsy and creativity we need in this moment. It’s fun, quick, and leaves you feeling like maybe the world isn’t the dumpster fire it is. This is the reason we go to theaters after all, to escape our own lives and feel better. You Are the Film is the brightest example of the magic of cinema. I’m happy to see that magic is still alive and well, especially in an era where techbros and capitalism keep trying to kill it.
