Critic Reviews

Haru’s journey is more soulful and heartbreaking than you may want it to be. And that somehow makes the magical moments even more endearing.

Shimmering and sparkling, Ha-chan carries the rarest maturity about sex, love, grief, and allowing yourself to take life one step at a time.

Kikuchi makes every stumble, flourish, and embarrassment feel lived-in, another reason the movie works.

Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty! will likely gain criticism for its simplicity and earnestness, but I would argue those are the very things that make it so special and effective. It’s also an enormous triumph on a craft level, with stunning direction buoyed by equally gorgeous production design and cinematography. Throw in moving performances and beautiful choreography, and there’s no doubt you’ll be moved to get up and shake your booty, too.

Wladyka keeps the film lively with a sparkler aesthetic and a flair for musical storytelling.

Though the film feels a bit overlong, watching it is a pleasure; Wladyka, who made Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! as a tribute to his ballroom-dancing mother, effortlessly combines a gentle exploration of heartbreak with a whimsical tribute to those who love dance.

Rinko Kikuchi is radiant in the film, playing Haru, a young widow in Tokyo with a mop of curls and a discreet nose ring.

Josef Kubota Wladyka, the director and co-writer, shifts from poignant emotion to comedy to surreal scenes that take us inside Haru’s fantasies just as gracefully as the dialogue shifts from Japanese to Spanish and English.

Josef Kubota Wladyka’s third feature film is a playful and whimsical confection, a deft blend of escapist kitsch and the real emotional heft that Kikuchi brings to the role.

Dedicating the film to his ballroom-dancer mother, Mr. Wladyka has crafted something that is, like so much in Japanese culture, modest and delicate but exquisite. Gripping her emotions tightly, Ha-Chan nevertheless is a study in how difficult it is to rebuild a life after someone’s passing.