We Are Aliens Review: A Haunting Animated Masterpiece on Isolation and Bullying by Kohei Kadowaki

Kohei Kadowaki’s feature debut, ‘We Are Aliens’, is a frequently stunning work of animation that also serves as a haunting portrait of isolation, the destructive nature of bullying, and humanity’s capacity for cruelty. The film unfolds as a layered narrative, beginning with what appears to be a simple coming-of-age story about two boys, Gyotaro and Tsubasa, growing close before drifting apart.

As the story leaps through time, the familiar tale reveals profound beauty and pain beneath its surface. The breathtaking animation, which rivals the technical precision and care of ‘Your Name’, employs rotoscope techniques—where live-action footage guides character movements—to achieve unparalleled naturalism. The animation team captures tactile details in every frame: a lonely room, a bustling city street, or even a simple drain adorned with flower petals to mark the passage of time. Each scene feels like a rich painting in motion, bringing a wondrous world to life—one that teeters on the edge of collapse.

The film premiered Thursday in the Directors’ Fortnight Sidebar at the Cannes Film Festival, opening with a striking yet subtle sequence. Notably, no faces are visible at first; instead, we hear dialogue between a parent and child discussing the moon before transitioning to a lone cab navigating city streets. When the driver’s face briefly appears, it is kept at a distance, mirroring the audience’s perspective as they observe the world through his eyes. As his eyes begin to close—presumably after a long shift—a single raindrop sliding down the windshield is framed to resemble a tear. This moment hints at the film’s central theme: beauty intertwined with pain, nearly overwhelming the viewer.

We then flash back to meet Gyotaro and Tsubasa, initially experiencing the world through the latter’s eyes. Tsubasa is a profoundly lonely child, yet the film finds authenticity in his struggles, including moments of humor. One such scene depicts him hilariously failing to hide his late-night gaming session from his mother. The film captures not only his mannerisms but also the overwhelming wonder and vulnerability of childhood.