TYPE OF REVIEW 
: GOOD OL’ REVIEW
No spoilers.
Michihito Fujii’s film The Parades (パレード) is a beautifully poignant and warm exploration of love, loss and human connection. Released on Netflix earlier this year, The Parades features a wonderful cast and emotionally affecting stories. Though the confines of a feature film running a little over two hours holds the narrative back from delving deeper, The Parades nonetheless offers a thought-provoking and resonant experience.
The Parades begins by introducing us to Minako (Masami Nagasawa), a mother searching for her son after a devastating earthquake and tsunami. But after encountering a curious group of people in a seemingly rundown amusement park, she learns she has died and is now in a realm of restless spirits.
This eclectic group of people she meets are fellow departed souls who each also have unfinished business and are unable to move on. As Minako comes to terms with her present state, she also slowly forms genuine friendships with her fellow spirits. And soon, she joins them and other souls on the monthly “Parades,” an evening where the deceased from all over participate in a procession to help each other find loved ones in the hopes that it will help them find peace.
And that’s what The Parades is all about. At its core, it is a story about human connection. And that applies to both the living and dead.
The group Minako joins in this realm include a young man, Akira (Kentaro Sakaguchi), yakuza Shori (Ryusei Yokohama), film director Michael (Lily Franky), pub owner Kaori (Shinobu Tarajima), banker Tanaka (Tetsushi Tanaka) and high schooler Nana (Nana Mori). Together, they form a friendship and bond as they search for that seemingly elusive peace and closure that will allow them to move on. It’s a bit of a found family as well. And they likewise share both fun and somber moments together.
And that search leads them to connections they’ve made in the world of the living. Whether it’s family, friends, lovers or even works of art; the group of souls are able to provide each other moral and emotional support to bring about understanding and acceptance.
The idyllic setting of the amusement park and quirky living quarters sets the stage for what is a dreamlike atmosphere. The film is visually stunning. Lending to the story’s magical realism, the visual cues enhance the charm and nostalgia of the narrative. And that in turn helps to offer a sincerity that allows each character’s personal story feel realized and relatable.
Again, a longer format like a multi-episode series would allow for a much deeper exploration into those stories. And with such a talented cast and endearing characters, it would be very easy to embrace spending more time with all of them.
Still, the film’s dreamlike aura does not take away from a solid pace that carefully develops this world alongside the steady unraveling of each character’s background and story.
Masami Nagasawa leads a very talented ensemble who do so much with the limited time and material given to each of them. They very much elevate the already solid material. And for a story like this, the cast has a bit more heavy lifting to do to make everything work. But they do so effortlessly and it is evident throughout the film right up to the ultimate emotional climax.
The film’s plot may be relatively simple, but it packs an emotional punch with warmth, sincerity and a unique depiction of the afterlife.
The strength of The Parades is in its ability to capture the emotional complexities of loss. And with the themes of love, loss and connection, the film is able to present a thought-provoking story that can resonate with a universal audience.