The Sky Crawlers

The Sky Crawlers is set in an alternate world where decades of war have given way to a lasting peace. To keep restless populations occupied, private military corporations stage aerial battles that are broadcast live, with civilians following the pilots much as they would follow a sports team. The pilots are Kildren, genetically modified young people who never grow out of adolescence and are aware that each mission could be their last. Among them is Yuichi Kannami, a new arrival at a small base who settles into the routine of waiting for orders, flying combat sorties and spending time in the local bars, and who gradually notices strange things around him. He is drawn to his strict commanding officer, Suito Kusanagi.

The film was directed by Mamoru Oshii, the tenth of thirteen features in his directing career, following Ghost in the Shell 2.0 and preceding Halo Legends. Chihiro Ito wrote the screenplay, Tomohiko Ishii produced, and the voice cast includes Rinko Kikuchi as Suito Kusanagi and Ryo Kase as Yuichi Kannami. It runs 121 minutes and was released in Japan in August 2008.

On IMDb, the film holds a critics' rating of 6.9 out of 10 from ten reviews, while on TMDB it has a rating of 6.7 out of 10 from 184 votes, placing the two measures close together.