Metacritic score: 93
Shoplifters
The quiet, funny, devastating family drama is currently in theaters.
Alissa Wilkinson covered film and culture for Vox. Alissa is a member of the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics.
Shoplifters, from Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, made its debut earlier this year at Cannes, where the jury awarded it the top prize, the Palme d’Or. The film is an intimate and accessible drama about a family of small-time petty crooks who live in a small house, scratch out a living, and take in a young girl who appears to have lost her family altogether.
But as the story unfolds, a mystery seems to emerge almost imperceptibly from the family’s everyday interactions, and the movie eventually becomes something unexpected, surprising, and haunting. With strong performances and an engaging narrative, Shoplifters continued to amass well-earned praise and capture hearts throughout its fall festival run; it’s also Japan’s Oscars entry for Best Foreign Film.
