Ritual (2000) | Region-Free (Blu-Ray) | Directed by Hideaki Annon

Cinema Dream Network Custom Region-Free Blu-ray/BD-R Release

Presented in 1080p with English subtitles.

Title: Ritual (2000)

Alternate Title: Shiki-Jitsu

Genre: Drama, Romance

Plot Synopsis:
A disillusioned filmmaker encounters a young woman who ritualistically repeats, “Tomorrow is my birthday,” every day. He attempts to connect with her through his video camera, delving into themes of reality, fantasy, and human connection.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Hideaki Anno
• Writer: Hideaki Anno
• Cast:
  • Shunji Iwai as The Director
  • Ayako Fujitani as She
  • Jun Murakami as Bicycle Man
  • Shinobu Ôtake as Her Mother
  • Suzuki Matsuo as Man (voice)

YouTube Trailer:
Ritual (2000) | Trailer

IMDb Link:
Ritual (2000)

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Drew Edelstein – ★★★★½
   “There was a time in my life where I longed to die. Wake up, go to class, go to work, go to bed. Wash, rinse, repeat. The tedium, the monotony, a mask to help me confront the crushing loneliness I felt at the time. Wake up, go to class, go to work, go to bed. Wash, rinse, repeat. I wanted to heal the hole in my heart, but no matter how often I reached out, I only seemed to be digging my grave further. Wake up, go to class, go to work, go to bed. Wash, rinse, repeat. Every day, I dragged myself through the tedium, the inconveniences of life ruling my perception of the arbitrary march of time. Wake…”
2. abel – ★★★★½
   “Reality, fantasy, imagination, and dreams are tightly intertwined in this Hideaki Anno masterpiece. Even though the film is set mostly in reality, we are watching these characters going through a trancelike state of mind, albeit conscious. The fear of being abandoned and being left alone once again by someone we’ve come to rely on is ever-present during the film’s 127 minutes runtime.”
3. Luis_989 – ★★★★☆
   “Ritual is an arthouse Japanese film, written and directed by Hideaki Anno, who is none other than the creator of Evangelion. So obviously I knew I was in for something of an existential nature. The plot is about a film director who meets a woman who projects a personality that seems a mixture of dreaminess and eccentricity, seemingly living in a fantasy world. The woman claims that every day is her birthday, which arouses the director’s curiosity about her. Ritual is not overtly experimental but is also not a film with a frontal presentation so it may seem slow and derivative for viewers unfamiliar with this type of narratives.”

Meta Description:
“Ritual” (2000), also known as “Shiki-Jitsu,” is a Japanese drama directed by Hideaki Anno. The film explores the interaction between a disillusioned filmmaker and a young woman who daily proclaims, “Tomorrow is my birthday,” delving into the blurred lines between reality and fantasy.