<PENANCE> was originally a Japanese television drama series that aired in early 2012, and which Kurosawa Kiyoshi made four years after his previous film. The five episodes begin with the scene of a girl being murdered in a school gym. Each episode looks into a different tragedy faced by different characters. The shock of witnessing the murder haunts the murdered girl’s four friends (Aoi Yu, Koike Eiko, Ando Sakura and Ikewaki Chizuru) even after they become adults, as well as the girl’s mother. Based on the third novel by Minato Kanae, perhaps best known for her first book <Confessions>, <PENANCE> stands somewhere between a genre film and character-driven drama. The film does not go totally into the realm of fantasy, but there is an otherworldly air stemming from strange coincidences, sudden explosions of violence and an atmosphere indicating that something is on the horizon. despite the TV production values and long formats, <PENANCE> carries the unique style of Kurosawa all through its running time. (Darcy PAQUET)