Harmonium

Harmonium is a 2016 Japanese movie directed by Koji Fukada. The film revolves around the life of a family consisting of three members: Toshio (Tadanobu Asano), his wife Akie (Mariko Tsutsui), and their daughter Hotaru (Momone Shinokawa). The film starts with Toshio, who is running a small metalworking factory in a quiet rural town, hiring an old acquaintance, Yasaka (Taiga Nakano), as an assistant.

Yasaka is welcomed by Toshio's family as a live-in guest, and the family is delighted to have a new friend. But their happiness quickly turns to despair when the nasty secrets of Yasaka's past start to reveal themselves. Yasaka's presence threatens to turn the happy family's life upside down. He brews trouble and takes advantage of their generosity, becoming the devilish dark angel that corrupts the family's peaceful existence.

The first half of the movie portrays a serene life in a small town, and it might seem like nothing much is happening. However, as events unfold, the tension starts to build up, slowly but surely. The movie is well-paced, and every scene feels necessary as the director carefully reveals the family's past and present situations.

The film is characterized by the careful manipulation of sound in various scenes, such as harmonium music or the sound of a knife on a chopping board. The opening scene, for example, is filled with mechanical sounds and the soft melody of the harmonium, creating a slow-paced and serene atmosphere that resembles the family's calm life before Yasaka arrives.

One of the key themes of the movie is the idea of sin and redemption. The past sins of the characters come back to haunt them and lead to catastrophic consequences. The director presents the viewers with an interesting conundrum, making them question whether someone can ever be forgiven for their past sins.

The film's cast is excellent, with Tadanobu Asano leading the way with his brilliantly understated performance as Toshio. The character suffers from guilt for his past actions, making him an emotionally distant father and husband. He seeks redemption through Yasaka, who is a former employee he wronged in the past. Mariko Tsutsui is outstanding as Akie, conveying the sense of a woman struggling to keep her family together despite the mounting tension. Taiga Nakano is impressive as Yasaka, bringing a sense of menace to the film, making the viewers uneasy about his presence.

Overall, Harmonium is a slow-burning thriller that will keep the viewers engaged throughout with its well-built tension and the masterful performances of the cast. The film explores the themes of guilt, redemption, betrayal, and forgiveness in a quiet yet intense way, leaving the viewers with a lot of questions about the human condition. The movie is a must-watch for those who enjoy a thoughtful and engrossing psychological thriller.