The Japanese film Renoir, directed by Chie Hayakawa, is arriving in the United States with new promotional material in tow. Picked up for North American distribution by Film Movement, the film makes a theatrical push beginning at the IFC Center with screenings starting on May 29, 2026. Ahead of that run, the U.S. trailer has been released exclusively, offering a First look at Hayakawa’s return to intimate, observational cinema after her earlier feature, Plan 75. The movie initially played in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, where it drew attention for its restrained storytelling and period details.
At its emotional core is the story of an eleven-year-old named Fuki, portrayed in her first film role by Yui Suzuki. Set in suburban Tokyo in 1987, the narrative follows Fuki as she copes with a father confined to a hospital bed by illness and a mother burdened by work and worry. Rather than dramatics, the film relies on quiet observation: Fuki’s fascination with the occult and experiments in hypnotism become a lens for exploring mortality, loneliness, and small acts of rebellion. Supporting performances include veteran actor Lily Franky and Hikari Ishida, and the cinematography by Hideho Urata favors faded, painterly colors that give the film a nostalgic glow.
From festival competition to U.S. screens
Renoir moved through the festival circuit after premiering in the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2026, consolidating Hayakawa’s reputation after Plan 75, which won recognition at Cannes in 2026. Film Movement’s acquisition set a clear path for a summer release in the U.S., and the distributor has begun marketing the film to American audiences with the newly released trailer. Hayakawa’s filmmaking is informed by her time training in New York and by personal history: she has said the film echoes childhood memories of a parent’s final months. That intimate origin story manifests on screen as careful staging and a steady directorial gaze that privileges small, revealing moments over overt melodrama.
Visual approach and tonal choices
The film’s look is a deliberate element of its storytelling. With Hideho Urata behind the camera, the palette skews toward subdued, almost faded hues that frame the period setting without nostalgic excess. Critics noted the film’s unhurried tempo and observational style; one review compared Hayakawa’s eye to that of Hirokazu Kore-eda while stressing a cooler, less sentimental register. Rory O’Connor remarked on the even-handed presentation of joy and peril across a formative summer. Early aggregator tallies have been favorable—reports cited an approximate 88% Rotten Tomatoes score at one stage—indicating that while reactions vary, the film resonates with many viewers interested in finely tuned, character-driven narratives.
Story elements and performances
On paper, Renoir is a coming-of-age tale about a child in transition, but several plot details give it a distinct flavor. Fuki’s experiments range from card tricks to attempts at telepathy and hypnotism, which she practices on neighbors and new friends from language school. At one point she answers a mysterious phone hotline, a turn that adds tension and hints at the risks of a child attempting to understand adult complexities on her own. The film balances these adventurous episodes with quieter sequences of play and imitation—Fuki mimics animal calls, impersonates a young woman to meet a stranger, and learns about the painter Renoir, whose name anchors the film’s title and thematic interest in art as consolation.
Why the film matters now
Renoir arrives at a moment when international audiences are attentive to nuanced, intimate dramas from Japan. Hayakawa’s work stands out for its willingness to treat heavy subjects—death, illness, parental absence—through the vantage of a child who neither collapses under grief nor ignores it. The result is a film that may appeal to fans of modern Japanese auteurs while offering a distinct voice shaped by Hayakawa’s personal history and formal restraint. As the U.S. rollout begins on May 29, 2026, viewers will be able to judge how the film’s low-key power translates outside the festival context; for now, the trailer serves as a compelling invitation into Fuki’s complex, small-scale world.