Although the early work of Miyazaki and films such as Barefoot Gen (Mori Masaki, 1983) had made inroads, Akira may be considered the film that brought anime to wider, adult Western audiences. In 2019, thirty years after its destruction in the Third World War, Tokyo is in chaos. From this rises Tetsuo, whose extra-sensory abilities once again threaten the city with catastrophe.

Vivid and gruesome, this is a welcome opportunity to see this seminal work on the big screen.

Notes by Kevin Coyne.