It’s a Summer Film!

09/20/2025

🎬 Title: It’s a Summer Film! (サマーフィルムにのって)
Release Year: 2020 / Director: Sōshi Masumoto / Runtime: 97 min

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (My Rating: 4/5)

📝 Synopsis

It’s a Summer Film! tells the story of Barefoot, a high school girl obsessed with samurai movies, who decides to make her own indie film with her friends. Along the way, she meets a mysterious boy with a secret, and together they create a project that blends youthful passion, genre love, and the fleeting magic of summer.

🌟 Highlights

Energetic homage to classic samurai cinema and youth culture
Charming performances from the young cast, especially Marika Itō as Barefoot
A heartfelt balance of comedy, romance, and film-within-a-film creativity

🌑 Lowlights

Some narrative twists (especially the sci-fi elements) may feel jarring
The pacing dips slightly in the middle section
Requires familiarity with Japanese cinema tropes for full appreciation

🇯🇵 Cultural Footnotes

The protagonist’s devotion to samurai films reflects Japan’s long tradition of jidaigeki and the generational divide in how youth engage with cultural heritage.
The film’s playful mix of genres mirrors Japan’s history of youth cinema blending pop culture, romance, and social commentary.
The title’s evocation of summer connects to the Japanese aesthetic of fleeting youth and natsukashii (nostalgia).

💭 Review

Director Sōshi Masumoto crafts a vibrant ode to cinephilia and adolescence. The film celebrates not only the joy of filmmaking but also the struggles of carving out a creative identity against mainstream expectations. While its sci-fi subplot risks overshadowing the simplicity of its coming-of-age core, the warmth and sincerity of Barefoot’s journey shine through. The result is both a love letter to Japanese cinema and a bittersweet reflection on youthful ambition.

⭐ Verdict

It’s a Summer Film! is a spirited, genre-bending coming-of-age story that resonates with anyone who has ever dreamed big under the summer sky. Playful, heartfelt, and unexpectedly profound.