Thursday, May 2, 2024

the contestant



I wasn't familiar with Susunu! Denpa Shōnen until encountering Clair Titley's new documentary, The Contestant. The first half is a fascinating glimpse in the ethical dilemmas of an early reality TV competition show in 1998 and its mostly unware participant, Nasubi. The second half strains for uplift in Nasubi's story. Still, it's amazing how prescient this show would be! 

My Film-Forward review here.