Hirokazu Koreeda is one of the most acclaimed auteurs in modern Japanese cinema, having gifted the world such humanistic delights as Monster and the Palme d’Or-winning Shoplifters. Although Sheep in the Box is hardly one of the best entries in Koreeda’s canon, it has enough of what makes the beloved filmmaker’s movies work for it to be charming and easy to palate.
What is Sheep in the Box about?
Sheep in the Box follows a couple who, following the tragic death of their young son, decide to purchase an artificial intelligence android to keep him “alive” in their life. Admittedly, this is not the most original concept, but that isn’t surprising for Koreeda. He specializes in taking stories that seem somewhat conventional on the surface and turning them into something unique and deeply empathetic.
Sheep in the Box Review
Unfortunately, that is not exactly the case with Sheep in the Box. It follows the formula you would expect from that premise, with few deviations that would allow the film to probe deeper. Still, it is a melodrama directed by Hirokazu Koreeda, which means that it’s more well-made and touching than a majority of other movies you will see this year.
Despite the premise, Sheep in the Box is not really a movie about artificial intelligence. Koreeda’s script does not seem interested in engaging with the ethics of AI, which seems like a missed opportunity considering that the technology in question is now much closer to being a reality than science fiction than when similar movies, such as Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence, were released.
Instead of exploring the technology at the center of this story, Koreeda is much more interested in humanity, which should not be surprising considering the deep empathy of much of Koreeda’s work. The result is that Sheep in the Box is much more of a meditation on grief. It’s a theme that we have seen explored plenty of times before, and the Japanese auteur doesn’t say anything that other filmmakers haven’t. But Koreeda’s films have a way of charming themselves into your heart, and this one is no exception.
That being said, Sheep in the Box is undeniably more conventional than pretty much anything Koreeda has done in the past. It’s a tear-jerker, feeling like it has more in common with a J-drama television series than one of the intimate dramas the filmmaker has been known for. It resorts to a lot of easy targets to get an emotional response out of the audience, which is not something that Koreeda typically does.
That being said, Sheep in the Box is elevated by its performances, which ascend above the melodramatic trappings of the script. Daigo Yamamoto is particularly heartbreaking as the father of the movie. Typically, in a story like this, you would expect the mother, played by Haruka Ayase, to be the focus. And while Ayase has her fair share of affecting moments, the film’s most poignant beats come from Yamamoto’s character.
From a technical standpoint, Sheep in the Box is also nothing particularly special. For what it’s worth, Koreeda has never really been a flashy director when it comes to technique. However, as his first foray into genre filmmaking, some wondered if his latest work would be a bit more visually distinct. The answer is no, but it is still entirely competent.
Is Sheep in the Box worth watching?
Nevertheless, despite being a lesser work from its creator, Sheep in the Box still feels better than this premise would turn out in the hands of any other filmmaker. Most in the cinephile community, this writer included, are automatically seated for anything that Hirokazu Koreeda makes, and Sheep in the Box won’t change that, flaws and all.
Sheep in the Box premiered at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, which ran from May 12-23.
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