Now Streaming: Sono Sion's Hard-hitting HIMIZU

As always here at ScreenAnarchy, it's one of our goals to keep cinephiles, and casual viewers alike, abreast of where the river known as cinema flows, and more than ever, we are finding that its toward the world of streaming content. While a plethora of festival films make their way to theaters or robust VOD releases, an equal number end up online through various digital means. Our "Now Streaming" headline is a way to highlight some of these releases that might otherwise slip through the cracks.

Today, I'll be highlighting a release from Vyer Films, a Brooklyn-based streaming subscription service that specializes in curating top-tier if little seen art house and international fare. Of particular interest to ScreenAnarchy readers is their release of Sono Sion's post 3/11 drama Himizu. Sono's non "helter-skelter" films have always seemed a hard sell to distributors other than the UK's Third Window FIlms, so it's a real treat to see one of Sono's more realist, if no less harrowing pictures pop up on an interesting and accessible new avenue such as Vyer.

Following 15-year old Yuichi (Sometani Shota) in the days and weeks following the Fukushima earthquake and tsunami, the film also features a performance by one of Japan's true up and comers, Nikaido Fumi, who some of you may recall from Sono's own Why Don't You Play In Hell?

Our own J. Hurtado said in his review that "Himizu marks a huge milestone for Sono, it's as though he's grown up and realizes that he no longer has to be the angry young man to get anyone to listen. Well, the world is listening, and Himizu is a beautiful song."

You can watch Himizu through a free all-access two-week trial of Vyer Films right here. So while you're there be sure to poke around their ever growing catalogue, which is expanding to four exclusive releases per month. This also includes unique supplemental material like essays and interviews with the filmmakers. Other current titles include my own personal faves, the wistful and Fellini-esque The Temptation Of St. Tony, the searingly awkward Exit Elena, and the primordial A Lake.