Arthouse Ultraman

In the 21st century, multiple mysterious phenomenon began to occur as monsters who were initially thought to be a part of mythology had come to life. These phenomenons had also resulted from human activities that disrupted the nature of the ecosystem. Ultraman Max is the titular giant of his series. Originally a civilization observer sent from Nebula M78, the sacrifice of Kaito Touma changed his mind into bonding with with the youth and actively defending Earth from monsters and alien attacks. Arthouse Ultraman is a movie with four episodes edited together, theatrically released at Fantasia Festival 2006.

Directed by Akio Jissoji, Takashi Miike, Takeshi Yagi, Arthouse Ultraman leans on a strong ensemble — Hitomi Hasebe, Sota Aoyama, Shiro Sano — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about fantasy titles of 2005.