Miki, a 27-year-old working in an architectural firm, wakes up in her small apartment, pulled out of her sleepy memory. Her world is quiet and strange, but will soon be interrupted by a transformative experience spurred by a half-remembered wolf bite. As Miki searches for answers, she soon finds herself drawn into the woods, and to the center of a ritual at a shrine cared for by elderly maidens.
Eriko Katagari is about as exciting a discovery as I've made in a filmmaker in recent memory. A werewolf film that moves to totally unfamiliar rhythms. Plays as an allegory for neurodivergence in ways that are so lovely and not at all upsetting. Remarkable stuff. Enveloped from start to finish. Serena Motola is a revelation.
Jaime Rebanal 🇵🇸4.0
Fantasia 2026 #9: Underground (World Premiere)Never really have been a massive fan of werewolves, but found this one quite strong on the whole. Maybe that's also because I find the slow transformations more entrancing than the concept of the monsters themselves, and what stimulates these senses. It's rather stunning, but it also taps into a specific facet of femininity that we often shield ourselves from, especially when the world around her is constantly alienating her. And quickly enough you can sense that getting under your skin, especially as we start to sense Miki's mind being warped by what the world makes of her.Thus it becomes the perfect moment for her to unleash these desires in some form. And then the moment she fully embraces the identity of the monster pays off to great effect here. Given that this is writer-director Eriko Katagiri's first feature as a director, I can't wait to see more.
🦂🐍🦅4.5
I could write a whole thing about how this is actually about unmasking as an autistic woman... but I am blown away by this being the director's debut. she's just like me fr
Veelgestelde vragen
Waar gaat When You Open the Door over?+
Een medewerker van een architectenbureau ondergaat een bizarre psychologische en fysieke transformatie na een ontmoeting met een wolf, wat haar meetrekt in een ritueel bij een heiligdom in het bos.
Wie heeft When You Open the Door geregisseerd?+
De film is geregisseerd door Eriko Katagiri als haar debuut speelfilm die in 2026 is uitgebracht.
Waar beleefde When You Open the Door zijn première?+
De film beleefde zijn wereldpremière op het Fantasia International Film Festival.