Any Crybabies Around? (2020)

Any Crybabies Around? is the kind of humble, hard-hitting drama that sneaks up on you, not with flashy twists, but with the raw, bruising honesty of watching someone try to earn adulthood the long way. It’s anchored by a fierce, lived-in performance from Taiga Nakano, who makes every stumble and small victory feel painfully real, and the film’s emotional power comes from how it lets consequences linger rather than rushing toward easy redemption. The atmosphere is intimate and intense, steeped in local traditions that aren’t window dressing but a pulse running through the story, giving it cultural texture and a sense of place you can almost feel in your bones. If you want neat catharsis or a hero you can effortlessly root for, it may challenge you—but if you’re open to a deeply human film about responsibility, shame, and the slow work of becoming better, it’s absolutely worth your time.

Any Crybabies Around? is aiming for a grounded, emotionally honest drama about responsibility and the hard work of earning forgiveness, not just asking for it. It starts with a sharper pulse and a clear sense of momentum, but that early energy fades, and the back half can feel sluggish when you’re expecting the story to keep pressing forward. The narrative also has a slightly disoriented quality, so if you need clean, confident storytelling and tight pacing to stay invested, this may test your patience. Still, if you’re open to a quieter, messier character study that sits with discomfort rather than delivering neat catharsis, there’s something sincere here.