Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    EA Sports Madden NFL 26 Head Coach But Why Tho 5

    Dear EA Sports, Why Can’t I Make A Hot Coach?

    08/14/2025
    Blade in Marvel Rivals Season 3.5

    Blade Can Shut Down The Other Team In Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 If You Know How

    08/08/2025
    John Cena and Cody Rhodes during Summerslam 2025

    The SummerSlam 2025 Main Event Was A Fever Dream We All Needed

    08/08/2025
    Street Fighter 6 Sagat

    Sagat Brings Depth And Approachability To ‘Street Fighter 6’

    08/07/2025
    Battlefield 6 Classes - Support trailer image

    Battlefield 6 Really Wants You To Play Support (But Knows You Won’t)

    07/31/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » FANTASTIC FEST: ‘Cloud’ Is What Genre-Blending Should Be

FANTASTIC FEST: ‘Cloud’ Is What Genre-Blending Should Be

Kate SánchezBy Kate Sánchez09/28/20244 Mins ReadUpdated:10/07/2024
Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Cloud (2024) released by Janus Films
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Kiyoshi Kurosawa is known for genre-blending and bending. His quirkiness pushes far past gimmicks and often captures the hyperbolic ends of spectrums. Cloud (Kuraudo) continues Kurosawa’s robust filmography, using action, comedy, and even slight horror tropes to accent its narrative path.

Cloud’s protagonist is Ryosuke. His job at a laundry facility is too monotonous. Ultimately, instead of taking a promotion, he turns to get a quicker buck and hopefully do something more by becoming a reseller. He buys things cheap, resells them for ten times the cost online, and the money flows. His new income gives him excitement, and it also starts to rebuild his relationship (at least in appearance) with his girlfriend Akiko.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

But what’s better than steady money? More money. When Ryosuke and Akiko move to move outside of Tokyo to a larger place with space for their growing operations, everything starts to change. Their place is vandalized, people ring the doorbell at night, and more eerie things creep into their peace.

To help, Ryosuke hires Sano (Daiken Okudaira) as an assistant, setting his sights on even more money as he throws caution to the wind and begins to buy up forgeries. But like everything in capitalism, his operation begins to break, and the people he’s exploited and sold to or bought from begin to move against him.

Cloud 2024

Cloud’s third act lets everything loose and imbues the film with well-crafted action. While it may seem to come out of nowhere, the way that Kurosawa takes an extremely banal gripe that could have been a Yelp review and spins it into a brash action thriller is exciting. Throughout the film, the genres cascade through the narrative without feeling forced in.

The danger begins as an ominous setup that feels almost supernatural before it morphs into a clear human threat. As Ryosuke’s mistake begins to mount into online fervor, and he pushes people away, all he has left is his assistant, and that may be the best thing as the film transforms into an action-filled hunt. The way that the people that Ryuosuke has interacted with both directly and indirectly escalate into a violent flare feels extreme. And to be fair, it is.

However, Kurosawa crafts a tight narrative that weaves each connection and choice into the next with just the right amount of physical comedy and absurdity to keep the film’s balance from turning into a high-octane thriller. Cloud showcases the best ways genre filmmaking does not need to restrict itself to one lane. The film captures how seemingly disparate genre notes can come together to create a symphony instead of a cacophony.

Cloud 2024

For his part in the unraveling chaos, Masaki Suda is an absolute stunner as Ryosuke. He has a plan, pivots easily, and is calm when he needs to be, which, for everyone looking in, makes him the emotionless enemy. In reality, however, he’s just as desperate as everyone else. Underneath the facade that pisses everyone off is a guy who really just needs to make a profit to survive, and his temperament keeps him grounded.

This is no clearer than when he’s threatened and shows no response, only to stumble his way to freedom with little to no control or ability to fight back. Ryosuke can’t see past himself, and with the constant allure of more money clouding his judgment, the film’s end may seem too extreme for the transgressions on paper, but it’s the only natural progression of the narrative.

Cloud (2024) is funny and thrilling, with just the right amount of creepiness. It also has fantastic shootouts and a supporting cast that just doesn’t quit. But what makes this Kurosawa film stand out is its dedication to using every situation as the build-up to something rich—situational comedy, creep, and action all have a place, and it works wonders to keep you enthralled in this reseller’s story.

Cloud (2024) screened as a part of Fantastic Fest and is Japan’s submission to the 2024 Academy Awards.

Cloud (2024)
  • 9/10
    Rating - 9/10
9/10

TL:DR

Cloud (2024) is funny and thrilling (with just the right amount of creepy), with fantastic shootouts and a supporting cast that just doesn’t quit. But what makes this Kurosawa film stand out is the dedication to using every situation as the build-up to something rich…

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleFANTASTIC FEST: ‘Mr. Crocket’ Takes Us Back To The 90s
Next Article FANTASTIC FEST: Showmanship Shines In ‘Better Man’
Kate Sánchez
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Kate Sánchez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of But Why Tho? A Geek Community. There, she coordinates film, television, anime, and manga coverage. Kate is also a freelance journalist writing features on video games, anime, and film. Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles. Find her on Bluesky @ohmymithrandir.bsky.social

Related Posts

Madelyn Cline and KJ Apa in The Map That Leads to You
8.0

REVIEW: ‘The Map That Leads To You’ Is YA Romance Done Right

08/19/2025
Lurker promotional still from MUBI

REVIEW: ‘Lurker’ Probes The Intoxication Of Fame

08/19/2025
The Knife (2025) promotional still
7.0

REVIEW: ‘The Knife’ Is Simple And Too Much At The Same Time

08/17/2025
Still from Shin Godzilla
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Shin Godzilla’ Is More Relevant Than Ever

08/16/2025
Fixed promotional key art from Netflix Animation
6.0

REVIEW: ‘Fixed’ Is Top-Notch Animation But Bottom Of The Barrel Comedy

08/15/2025
Denzel Washington Highest 2 Lowest
7.0

REVIEW: ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ Has A Ton Of Fun Missing It’s Own Points

08/15/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Still from Shin Godzilla
8.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘Shin Godzilla’ Is More Relevant Than Ever

By Sarah Musnicky08/16/2025Updated:08/17/2025

It is understandable how Shin Godzilla succeeded at the box office nearly a decade ago. The strength of its story still stands today.

Botanical Bliss Update Palia But Why Tho 5 News

Palia’s New Botanical Bliss Update Brings New Flora, Decorations, And Quest Mechanic

By Matt Donahue08/18/2025Updated:08/18/2025

The Botanical Bliss update adds new event, more plushes, and a host of quality-of-life improvements and more to celebrate 2 years of Palia.

BOOTS Netflix First Look promotional images News

First Look at Coming-of-Age Story BOOTS, Coming to Netflix This October

By But Why Tho?08/17/2025

Netflix is reporting for duty this fall with the new eight-episode series BOOTS, a comedic drama starring Miles Heizer and Vera Farmiga

Nuestra Magia Secret Lair Art Interviews

EXCLUSIVE: How The ‘Nuestra Magia’ Secret Lair Found Its Identity And Raised Over $1M

By Kate Sánchez08/15/2025Updated:08/15/2025

We spoke with Ovidio Cartagena about Magic: The Gathering’s Nuestra Magia Secret Lair drop, its impact, and the real treasure within.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here