Plan 75 is a 2022 dystopian drama film directed by Chie Hayakawa (Ten Years in Japan, Niagara and the upcoming Renoir), starring Chieko Baishô (Howl’s Moving Castle, The Hidden Blade and the long-running and successful Tora-San movie series), Hayato Isomura (the Kamen Rider films/series, Kinou Nani Tabeta? and Alice in Borderland), Taka Takao (Your Eyes Tell, Baragaki:Unbroken Samurai and Sekigahara), and Stefanie Arianne (Oh! Lucy, Melancholic and Hello, Au Revoir). 

The film takes place in a dystopian alternative reality where human longevity has become such a drain on the Japanese economy that the government have introduced a free Euthanasia programme (Plan 75) to deal with its ageing population. The programme offers all citizens over the age of 75 the right to free assisted suicide and 100,000 Yen as a sweetener, and has become popular due to the financial difficulties, ill health and loneliness faced by many of the elderly in Japanese society. This is largely due to government cuts on social care and welfare and a desire to not be a drain on the younger generations within society.

The film follows three main characters, Hiromu (Isomura), the young man employed by the state to assist the elderly with their applications to Plan 75, Michi (Baishô) a 78-year-old woman who feels she is becoming a burden and is considering taking the Plan 75 route, and Hiromu’s uncle Yukio (Takao) who is also considering whether or not to put an end to his time on earth. Plan 75 is a dark, thought-provoking look at how uncaring modern capitalist society has become, and how some of our elderly are starting to think about themselves and their roles within that society. Of course, this is an extreme example, but you do find yourself questioning just how far away we really are from experiencing this sort of thing within our own modern society? I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find that several modern-day political regimes have considered state-funded euthanasia as a way of saving themselves some money.

The performances are excellent, the main actors give powerful, nuanced performances and leave us feeling more than a little chilled by the cold, uncaring society depicted on the screen. The film itself, is a gentle but hard-hitting film that treats the prospect of euthanasia as something for us all to be deeply concerned about. This DVD release from … features the movie itself and Chie Hayakawa’s short film, Niagara as a bonus feature. Sadly, that’s pretty much it for bonus material, with the exception of Japanese and English subs. 

Overall, Plan 75 is a remarkable piece of work for a director making her full-length feature debut. It’s a clever and very thoughtful movie that manages to gently persuade the viewer to seriously consider the prospect of some potentially disturbing ideas coming to fruition. Recommended for anyone who feels concerned about the direction in which our society is headed.