River Returns

Set in 1958, this Japanese drama and fantasy film follows a boy named Yucha during a summer threatened by severe typhoons. After learning a local legend from a storyteller, Yucha discovers that a heartbroken spirit in a remote mountain pool is responsible for the village's recurring floods. As a dangerous storm approaches, the boy ventures to the feared location to soothe the spirit and protect his home from devastation.

Directed by Masakazu Kaneko, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Genki Yoshimura, the film was produced by Project Dawn. The cast features Sanetoshi Ariyama in the roles of Yucha and Shiro, alongside Asuka Hanamura, Yo Aoi, Tomomitsu Adachi, Kinuo Yamada, and Keisuke Horibe. The movie has a runtime of 108 minutes and was released on March 22, 2025. On TMDB, it holds a rating of 6.9/10 based on 16 votes.