In a rather unusual move, Japanese film distributors Toho are inviting ciritcs to come and view their new film, but on the understanding that the journos won’t get to see the last 10 minutes of the movie. The film is the final instalment of the immensely popular 20th Century Boys action/sci-fi trilogy, which has been adapted from the Manga of the same name.
The movies follow a group of friends from 1969 to 2017. As youngsters they dream up a world where they must stand up to a group of villains who want to destroy the world. Then, when they become adults, the friends learn about a shadowy cult leader called Tomodachi, whose evil plans are eerily similar to what the boys imagined years before (sounds a bit like It to us).
Throughout the films the real identity of Tomodachi has never been revealed, and now critics aren’t going to be let in on the secret either, even though its uncovered at the end of the third movie (although if it’s a faithful adaptation of the Manga, don’t a lot of people know already?). Toho has been desperate to kepp Tomodachi’s identity under wraps, saying that all the way though filming and post-production only 10 people knew who it was. That secrecy has now spilled over into preview screenings, where they don’t want to give journalists the opportunity to spoil the surprise for audiences.
However, how are the critics meant to review the film if they don’t see the ending? After all, if they’ve made three films leading up to this moment and the big reveal is rubbish, wouldn’t many people want to know before they paid out for a ticket?