Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy

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1:45

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy

Released Oct 15, 2021

2h 1m

Drama

Romance

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Popcornmeter

99%

Tomatometer

115 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

An unexpected love triangle, a failed seduction trap and an encounter that results from a misunderstanding. Meiko is startled when she realizes that the man who her best friend starts to have feelings for, is her ex; Sasaki plots to trick his college professor out of revenge, using his class-friend-with-benefits Nao, while Natsuko encounters a woman who seems to be someone from her past, leading the two to confess the feelings they have harbored in their hearts -- stories about the complexities of relationships, told through coincidences that happen in the lives of women in love.

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Critics Consensus

Writer-director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi explores multiple facets of the human condition with Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, all to delightfully affecting effect.

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Christina Newland

iNews.co.uk

It's a film about love, in the broadest sense.

Rated: 5/5

Sep 19, 2024

Full Review

Guy Lodge

Film of the Week

If you’re a relative newcomer to Hamaguchi’s work, this triptych of gently humane, wistful short stories is an ideal, approachable introduction.

Jun 1, 2022

Full Review

Jake Wilson

The Age (Australia)

All three stories could be loosely described as tales of seduction, which is also the game Hamaguchi is playing with the audience: toying with us, persuading us to jump from one speculative train of thought to another, keeping us alert and intrigued.

Rated: 4.5/5

Apr 28, 2022

Full Review

Ryan Swen

Taipei Mansions

It is in the realm of dialogue and especially reaction that Hamaguchi thrives, and what draws him in many’s eyes close to the realm of Rohmer and/or Rivette.

Sep 5, 2025

Full Review

William Stottor

Loud and Clear Reviews

Through three distinct but thematically connected stories in Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi paints a vivid portrait of people facing choices and fates.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 18, 2024

Full Review

Nadine Whitney

The Curb

Hamaguchi’s writing and direction are deeply humanistic and give us the sense that in life, although unpredictable, there are moments that can change us that are both small and monumental.

May 4, 2024

Full Review

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Micha N

Season three is a major step up in quality compared to previous seasons and even compared to other fantasy tv-series. The Wheel of time epic world and characters are finally starting to remind how I believed it would look like while I was reading the books.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/30/25

Full Review

Sam N

Like a Matryoshka doll, this film moves from one story to the next, revealing layer after layer, each more intricate and captivating than the last.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/26/24

Full Review

Sergio S

I mean... it's quite boring guys, beautiful though

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/14/23

Full Review

William D

Chick flick - actually three chick flicks in one - but not too bad, there is good dialogue throughout.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

戏剧般的电影，去掉蒙太奇，用一场场比真实还要真的对话戏去无限接近现实。

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

If you are pretentious and a poser, this movie is for you

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

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Ryûsuke Hamaguchi

Director

Kotone Furukawa

Actor

Kiyohiko Shibukawa

Actor

Katsuki Mori

Actor

Fusako Urabe

Actor

Aoba Kawai

Actor

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Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

An unexpected love triangle, a failed seduction trap and an encounter that results from a misunderstanding. Meiko is startled when she realizes that the man who her best friend starts to have feelings for, is her ex; Sasaki plots to trick his college professor out of revenge, using his class-friend-with-benefits Nao, while Natsuko encounters a woman who seems to be someone from her past, leading the two to confess the feelings they have harbored in their hearts -- stories about the complexities of relationships, told through coincidences that happen in the lives of women in love.

Director: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
Producer: Satoshi Takada, Satoshi Takata
Screenwriter: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
Distributor: Film Movement
Production Co: Fictive , NEOPA
Genre: Drama, Romance
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 15, 2021, Limited
Runtime: 2h 1m

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