SCARLET Premiere at Animation is Film Festival 2025

Nov 3

Nov 3 SCARLET Premiere at Animation is Film Festival 2025

Animation flashed across the screens at TCL Chinese Theater on a Friday night. It really did flash since TCL Chinese Theater added a superbly ridiculous large screen in the lobby. The bright flashes on the screen was not a bothersome matter for the crowded room as industry folk and fans covered every inch for the first night of Animation is Film Festival in October. For one weekend, viewers were able to choose from a curated list of screenings featuring new animated films from around the world or to revisit beloved works. To start off the festival it was the celebrated return of Mamoru Hosoda with his upcoming dark fantasy film, SCARLET.

TCL Chinese Theater lobby for the opening night of Animation is Film Festival (Photo by Tonith Photography)

Hosoda is the Director of the animation company, Studio Chizu. Studio Chizu is most known for its feature-length animated films, “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time”, “Summer Wars”, and “Wolf Children”.

The last time Squeedar met Hosoda was in 2021 for the release of BELLE, a visual story of identity and love through an expansive and imaginative version of the internet. On the other side of the color wheel, SCARLET is also a story of identify but also hope. Just presented with a very dense dose of grimness and bloody revenge.

The movie is slated to be released theatrically in December and is anticipated to be one of the most polarizing film from Studio Chizu. This film is very much just for mature audiences. Young viewers may be traumatized by the opening events of the movie which involves blood curdling screams and bony fingers reaching from the earth. Yes, it’s absolutely different from the bright worlds that Studio Chizu have transported audiences to. We may be entering into the dark era of Studio Chizu.

Once the shock wears off that we will not flying to a bright world of imagination, audiences settle into a story of revenge. A young princess named Scarlet witnesses the unjust death of her father by the hands of her uncle. With each passing year, her inner passion for revenge fuels her drive to hone her skills in fighting. Even that much work and effort is not enough to prevent her from being the next target of betrayal. She wakes up screaming in a world of death and despair. Imagine intense, heartbreaking screaming. Yet the burn for revenge was never extinguished and she is able to use that pain to pull herself out and fight on through. Even in death, she will avenge her father. Along her long trek, she meets others who either hinder her progress with swords or ready to reach out with a helping hand.

Mamoru Hosoda answering question during the Q&A, answers translated by Mikey McNamara (photos by Tonith Photography)

Scarlet is a strong character in strength and heart. Everything she does, she feels deeply within her. Whether it’s delivering rapid fire punches or helping strangers, there is no masking the compassion. A compassion that is still strong despite the bruising done by the betrayals. Her tunnel vision of revenge blinds her to kindness and peace. It is only through her journey that she can begin to move beyond.

SCARLET is a completely new cinematic chapter for Studio Chizu and should be experienced in theaters. Mainly because there is a lot of screaming. A lot of loud, rib shaking screaming that would make you jump and frantically grab for the remote if attempted to watch at home.

During the Q&A at the end of the film, Hosoda shared that the studio experimented with 3D background art as the world of animation is heading into experimentation era. The success of mixed media animation movies like SPIDERMAN: INTO THE MULTIVERSE has helped animation to expand even further into using different types of media together. For SCARLET, this meant using 3D animation to create the bleak afterworld landscape. As Scarlet struggles through the desolate lands, she is a diminutive character compared to the rocks and cliffs around her. Her sequence of her travels creates a non-cohesive atmosphere, a sense of other-space where items from different time and place are strewn together at the same spot. Where the sky is really a never ending roiling beach. It’s an out of world, out of space kind of film. The move continues to play around with artistic delivery throughout the movie, almost as if painting a string of dreams that somehow makes sense together.

The story of the revenge powers the journey of self-identity. Revenge had been Scarlet’s focus for so long, that anything or anyone outside of her goals was non-existent. With each step bringing her closer to gaining her revenge, a side quest or story forces her to look around and discover. Discover that not only are there other people who may share the same journey but those same people are fueled by completely different passions.

As an artistic piece, it is bleakly beautiful. A very creative way to explore life, identity, and hope from the lens of the afterworld. Will audience be entertainment is a more complicated question to answer. Those who have been long time fans of Studio Chizu may be overwhelmed but will still support the stories. It may not be a movie that they would encourage others to watch as this movie is a complete departure for Studio Chizu’s style. Those new to film may be able to enjoy the movie for face value. Just take heed, this is not a happy story. There is a positive ending but it is after a long trail of tears and screams.