Maborosi

Yumiko is a young woman struggling to find meaning after a series of personal losses. After witnessing her grandmother leave to die as a child, she later marries Ikuo, only for him to die by suicide under a train. Years after the tragedy, Yumiko moves to a coastal fishing village with a man named Tamio and his young daughter. While trying to move past her grief and feelings of responsibility, she finds solace in stories about strange lights seen far out at sea.

This Japanese drama was produced by TV Man Union and written by Yoshihisa Ogita. It marks the first of 16 films directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, followed by After Life in 1999. The film stars Makiko Esumi in the lead role, alongside Tadanobu Asano, Takashi Naito, Midori Kiuchi, Akira Emoto, and Mutsuko Sakura.

The movie has been well received by both audiences and professionals. It holds a rating of 7.5/10 on IMDb from 7,058 votes and a matching 7.5/10 on TMDB from 210 votes. Film critics gave the production a higher score of 8.1/10 based on 24 reviews.