‘Sheep in the Box’ Review: Hirokazu Kore-eda Trains His Tender Gaze on Human-AI Co-Existence in a Grief Drama in Search of an Emotional Payoff
Hirokazu Kore-eda's 'Sheep in the Box' explores the emotional complexities of a grieving couple who adopt a humanoid AI replica of their deceased son. The film blends sci-fi elements with the director's signature humanism but struggles to deliver a cohesive or emotionally resonant narrative. Despite strong performances and visual elegance, the story feels underdeveloped and thematically unfocused.
- ▪The film centers on a couple who receive a humanoid AI replica of their dead 7-year-old son from a company called REbirth.
- ▪Kore-eda incorporates futuristic elements like delivery drones and robot crossing guards to ground the sci-fi premise in a naturalistic setting.
- ▪The parents initially hesitate but are convinced to join the program after encountering a lifelike robot child at the company's cafeteria.
- ▪Otone embraces the AI child warmly, though his early communication abilities are limited and mechanical.
- ▪The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in the competition category and runs for over two hours.
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| Original publisher | The Hollywood Reporter |
| Canonical URL | https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/sheep-in-the-box-review-hirokazu-koreeda-1236597517/ |
| Publication time | Sat, 16 May 2026 16:24:37 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-16T16:40:19.008Z |
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Basis: Derived from the published RSS/Atom feed. Contact: [email protected]. Reviewed: 2026-07-24.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
From left: Daigo, Rimu Kuwaki and Haruka Ayase in 'Sheep in the Box.' Cannes Film Festival Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Hirokazu Kore-eda brings his customary warmth and generosity of spirit to the seemingly cold presence of GenAI in our lives in Sheep in the Box (Hako no naka no hitsuji), in which grieving parents hope to ease their pain by embracing a humanoid built in their dead son’s image. The Japanese director has no shortage of ideas — chief among them the potential for advanced robotics to bring closure to the bereaved.
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