Anime dislikers melt whenever faced with the high-powered talent ray that is director Satoshi Kon’s sadly short film canon. His ability to blend live-action camera work, fantastical yet grounded narratives, and gorgeous animation makes all who enter his movies true anime believers by the end. Just in time for the holiday season, AFS screens his Christmastime classic as part of their Home for the Holidays series. It sits perfectly among fellow offbeat seasonal options: a story of familial struggles like Fanny and Alexander; a story of particular, isolated people like Phantom Thread; a seasonal mystery(ish) like The Thin Man; and as for Eyes Wide Shut similarities, well, Kon’s film also takes place in a major metropolitan city.– James Scott
Dec. 21,23 & 26
