Best Wishes to All (2024) Movie Review – Where to Watch Online
Best Wishes to All (Japanese title: Mina ni sachi are) isn’t your average horror flick. Directed by Yûta Shimotsu in his bold feature debut, the film weaves together psychological horror, surrealism, and social critique into a cinematic experience that’s as thought-provoking as it is disturbing.
At first glance, this Shudder Original might remind you of Midsommar, Hereditary, or The Visit, but its deeply rooted Japanese sensibility and emotional resonance set it apart. At its core, it questions the true cost of happiness — not as an ideal, but as a transactional state built on the suffering of others.
Plot Overview: When Family Traditions Hide Horrors
The story follows a young nursing student (played with nuanced restraint by Kotone Furukawa) who travels from Tokyo to her rural hometown to visit her grandparents. Their home, once a symbol of warmth and comfort, has become a cryptic and eerie space.
Subtle oddities evolve into full-blown grotesqueries: animalistic behavior at dinner, a room no one talks about, and a family that seems to be hiding more than just skeletons in the closet. As she uncovers the family’s horrifying secret — the imprisonment and torture of a man upstairs — she is forced to confront the darkest corners of love, tradition, and inherited violence.
Themes & Symbolism: The Horror of Happiness
What makes Best Wishes to All exceptional isn’t just its creepy set pieces or oppressive atmosphere — it’s the philosophical weight beneath it. The film presents happiness not as a universal right, but as a finite resource, hoarded and protected through sinister means.
This reflects a brutal capitalist allegory: in a system that celebrates joy, someone’s suffering often enables another’s pleasure. Shimotsu’s screenplay dives into ideas similar to those of Schopenhauer, offering a worldview where bliss is the absence of pain — and nothing more.
The intergenerational trauma depicted here is suffocating. It draws on real societal pressures: care work, family obligation, rural vs. urban alienation, and the way kindness can be manipulated into compliance. When compassion becomes a liability, horror becomes inevitable.
Performances: Furukawa Anchors the Madness
Kotone Furukawa’s performance is quietly devastating. As the protagonist, her transformation is not abrupt but slow and soul-draining. She is neither hysterical nor heroic — she’s human, resigned, and painfully aware of the inescapable moral rot around her.
Supporting roles by Inuyama Yoshiko and Arifuku Masashi as the grandparents strike a chilling balance between sweet and psychotic. Their genteel cruelty makes your skin crawl.
Direction & Style: A Haunting Vision
Yûta Shimotsu directs with poetic precision, drawing from the golden era of J-horror — the likes of Ju-On and The Ring — but reframes the dread with modern anxieties. The oppressive quiet, disjointed editing, and surreal visuals create a slow-burn experience that gets under your skin.
Standout scenes like a grotesque family dinner or a deranged dance sequence elevate the horror from visceral to existential. There are moments that feel cyclical or overlong, but even their repetition contributes to the film’s thematic claustrophobia.
Streaming Information: Where to Watch Best Wishes to All (2024).
If you’re in the U.S. and want to stream Best Wishes to All, you have several options:
✅ Subscription Streaming Services:
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Shudder – Exclusive streaming premiere. Best for horror fans.
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AMC+ – Includes Shudder content and additional horror titles.
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Apple TV+ (via Shudder channel add-on) – Convenient if you’re already in the Apple ecosystem.
🛒 Rent or Buy:
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Amazon Prime Video – Available for digital rental or purchase.
👉 Watch now on Amazon -
Apple TV (iTunes Store) – Rent or buy in HD.
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Google TV / YouTube Movies – Available on demand.
Make sure to check for availability as streaming catalogs can change by region or platform.
Final Thoughts: One of 2025’s Most Disturbing Horror Films
Best Wishes to All is a slow, bleak descent into the ethical abyss of tradition and emotional inheritance. It isn’t trying to scare you with jump scares or gore — it wants to haunt your worldview. It’s a film that lingers, disturbs, and challenges you to reconsider what it means to live a “happy” life.
While not flawless — it occasionally stumbles in pacing and tonal cohesion — it succeeds where it counts: in mood, message, and originality. Its blend of allegory and horror makes it one of the most memorable horror releases of 2025.
Watch or Walk Away?
Watch — If you’re a fan of cerebral horror with a deep emotional and societal message.
Skip — If you’re looking for something fast-paced or traditional. This isn’t that.
Ready to confront the dark side of happiness? Don’t miss this slow-burning psychological nightmare.
🎥 Stream it now on Amazon Prime Video or catch it exclusively on Shudder.
If you’ve seen it already, leave a comment — what did you think was in that miso?
