Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy

An unexpected love triangle, a failed seduction trap and an encounter that results from a misunderstanding.

Meiko is startled when she realizes that the man who her best friend starts to have feelings for, is her ex; Sasaki plots to trick his college professor out of revenge, using his class-friend-with-benefits Nao, while Natsuko encounters a woman who seems to be someone from her past, leading the two to confess the feelings they have harbored in their hearts—stories about the complexities of relationships, told through coincidences that happen in the lives of women in love.

Because 2021 wasn’t Ryusuke Hamaguchi enough, we decided to treat you to this encore to the Oscar-nominated (and who knows more) Drive My Car. Hamaguchi shot this film when production of Drive My Car was halted for three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘This female-led triptych of stories, with its deft, empathetic camerawork and intimate, intricately crafted character sketches, is a minor masterpiece in its own right.’ – ★★★★ The Observer
‘The stories feed into each other, helped by some subtle writing and restrained performances, and the drama slowly deepens.’ – ★★★★ The Times
‘A poignant, sometimes piercing triptych of tales, each one predicated on chance encounters and romantic possibilities, it finds Hamaguchi in playful, beguiling and quietly affecting form.’ – L.A. Times

All images: © 2021 “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy”