Quiet, lilting, humanist—the films of Hirokazu Koreeda are invariably described in such terms, carrying an implication that the Japanese auteur only makes a certain kind of picture. For a film like After the Storm (2016)—a beautiful tale of a family learning to cope with loss—this adjectival evaluation handily evokes the tone of one of Koreeda’s most sensitive and powerful works. But such stylistic generalizations fail to capture the variations in the Palme d’Or-winning filmmaker’s oeuvre. Like Father, Like Son (2013) won the Cannes Jury Prize, but is a pricklier proposition, written as Koreeda himself became a new parent. Inspired by real-life events in late-1960s Japan of babies being switched at birth, it’s a heartrending meditation on the trials of fatherhood. Two years later, Koreeda swept the board at the Japanese Academy Awards with Our Little Sister (2015), a gentle tale of sibling reconciliation that unfurls from the shadows of an estranged father’s death. The three films in this collection may all be family dramas, but their individual complexity puts paid to superficial notions of emotional delicacy. Don’t let the comforting surfaces of Koreeda’s cinema fool you—these films cut deep.

Quiet, lilting, humanist&#8212;the films of Hirokazu Koreeda are invariably described in such terms, carrying an implication that the Japanese auteur only makes a certain kind of picture. For a film like After the Storm (2016)&#8212;a beautiful tale of a family learning to cope with loss&#8212;this adjectival evaluation handily evokes the tone of one of Koreeda&#8217;s most sensitive and powerful works. But such stylistic generalizations fail to capture the variations in the Palme d&#8217;Or-winning filmmaker&#8217;s oeuvre. Like Father, Like Son (2013) won the Cannes Jury Prize, but is a pricklier proposition, written as Koreeda himself became a new parent. Inspired by real-life events in late-1960s Japan of babies being switched at birth, it&#8217;s a heartrending meditation on the trials of fatherhood. Two years later, Koreeda swept the board at the Japanese Academy Awards with Our Little Sister (2015), a gentle tale of sibling reconciliation that unfurls from the shadows of an estranged father&#8217;s death. The three films in this collection may all be family dramas, but their individual complexity puts paid to superficial notions of emotional delicacy. Don&#8217;t let the comforting surfaces of Koreeda&#8217;s cinema fool you&#8212;these films cut deep.

Family Matters: Films by Hirokazu Koreeda

FAMILY MATTERS: FILMS BY HIROKAZU KOREEDA

Quiet, lilting, humanist—the films of Hirokazu Koreeda are invariably described in such terms. But these stylistic generalizations fail to capture the complex variations in the Japanese filmmaker’s oeuvre. Don’t let the delicate surfaces of Koreeda’s cinema fool you—these films cut deep.

Quiet, lilting, humanist&#8212;the films of Hirokazu Koreeda are invariably described in such terms. But these stylistic generalizations fail to capture the complex variations in the Japanese filmmaker&#8217;s oeuvre. Don&#8217;t let the delicate surfaces of Koreeda&#8217;s cinema fool you&#8212;these films cut deep.