By When I rolled credits on Remedy Entertainment’s 2023 title Alan Wake 2, there was a lingering thought that crossed my mind: Is this really a video game? Now, I’m not going to spin this film review off into a discussion about how we quantify what a video game is. No, I bring that up because my playthrough left me with a different realization. Sometimes, mediums can transcend their very confines to become something else. Alan Wake 2 isn’t explicitly a “good” video game, but it’s an incredible interactive experience.
That’s pretty similar to how I feel about Toshiaki’s Toyoda’s Transcending Dimensions. If you go into this looking for traditional filmic pieces such as storytelling, character arcs, action sequences, etc, you’ll likely leave disappointed. This isn’t a “good” movie by the traditional standards. If you open your mind to films as an expression of mood, ambiance, and vibes, then you’ll probably think this is the greatest thing you’ve ever seen. That’s likely on purpose, too, considering the name of the movie.
Transcending Dimensions
Director: Toshiaki Toyoda
Release Date: February 1, 2025 (IFFR), July 19, 2025 (NYAFF)
Country: Japan
While the very purpose of Transcending Dimensions’ existence is to take viewers on an audio/visual experience unlike anything they’ve ever seen before, it does begin in a somewhat traditional sense. There’s no dialogue for the first eight minutes, but we start the movie watching a ritual being performed by the ascetic priest known as Ajari (Chihara Jr.). In some remote temple in Japan, Ajari takes people on a spiritual journey to shed their worldly possessions and reach enlightenment, which typically ends with people chopping their pinky fingers off like some old-school yakuza. While we don’t get introduced to any specific characters during this opener, the camera tends to focus on a man named Shinno (Ryuhei Matsuda) and a woman named Nonoka (Haruka Imou). For the purposes of this story, they are the central characters.
After a visually resplendent opener, we catch up with Shinno at a train station as he discusses what Nonoka wants from him. Many moons ago, her boyfriend Rosuke (Yosuke Kubozuka) disappeared into the mountains after training with Ajari. Allegedly, Ajari is a dangerous man, and Nonoka wants Shinno to kill him to free her boyfriend. She chose Shinno specifically because he is a skeptic, unfazed by new-age religions and superstitions. Before he can even confirm or deny her request, Nonoka then lies down on the train tracks and lets the train run her over, signaling something isn’t quite right with this whole experience.
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That’s about when the film starts to shed its more conventional means of storytelling and shifts into what I would call a music video. There’s this absolutely incredible sequence where Shinno is walking down a straight path in slow motion where literally nothing is happening, but it’s set to the song “My Queen is Albertina Sisulu” by Sons of Kemet. The thumping drums, upbeat horns, and chaotic nature of the song practically tell a story all by themselves, but it really showcases how Toyoda isn’t fooling around here. This isn’t just some time-wasting tactic, but a means to highlight how music can function as a bridge between realities.
Following this, Shinno confronts Ajari, and while their “battle” isn’t the most spectacular thing you’ll ever see, it leads into a title card sequence that comes at practically the midpoint of the entire film. This segment has another Sons of Kemet song and is filled with psychedelic visuals that look conjured up by a serious acid trip. It all serves to further the central theme of Transcending Dimensions, which is opening up your mind to the cosmic and spiritual.
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From there, the back half of the movie goes heavy on fantastical vistas and discussions of existentialism, almost entirely dropping traditional narrative framing. There are bits and pieces of characters interacting with one another, including a rather interesting bit where two scientists talk about how their AI is helping them find the edge of the universe, but my take away is this: Transcending Dimensions is an overt statement against conventionalism told through a lens of transcendentalism.
The AI thing is noteworthy because there is no possible way an AI could have hallucinated this film. I’m sure there is some deeper meaning to the visuals that I’m missing, considering I don’t quite know Eastern religions and philosophy that well, but if you were to prompt some garbage ass AI like ChatGPT to create this film, it wouldn’t make anything nearly as compelling or inventive. Moments go by where characters walk in slow motion while monologuing about their place in the universe while set to some incredible original music, which was reportedly done by Masaya Kitada of Ju-On: The Grudge fame, and it never feels tasteless or devoid of meaning. It might be a little languid, but it’s not boring.
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Some of the themes in Transcending Dimensions are also an extension of what Toyoda has been exploring with his previous short films. I don’t know enough about those to truly delve into things, but a review at Screen Anarchy details the recurring motifs of Wolf Shrine and the subtle critiques of Japan’s government seen in projects such as I’m Flash and Monsters Club. There’s even a project rather humorously titled Go Seppuku Yourselves that features some of the same actors.
While I could rattle on a bit more about what Transcending Dimensions made me feel, I don’t think there really is a point to doing so. This film doesn’t waste your time, and I won’t either. It really is something that needs to be seen to be understood. Perhaps you won’t understand it, but that doesn’t matter. You can’t begin the journey to self-discovery if you aren’t willing to step outside of your comfort zone, and that’s very clearly what Toyoda is going for here. So, take that step and see the movie. Hopefully, you’ll leave with a better appreciation for not only self-actualization but film as a whole.
