I Went to See “Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People?”

I knew before its release that this film was coming out.

But honestly, I didn’t think I wanted to see it.

Because it looked so real. And so frightening.

The world we live in right now is just too awful.

For quite some time now, I’ve been completely drained every time I look at the news. I thought I simply wouldn’t be able to handle it.

And then, all of a sudden, I thought:

Even so, I have to see it.

I want to see it.

So I bought a ticket immediately.

The number of theaters showing the film was apparently reduced from what had originally been planned, leaving only a very small number of cinemas screening it.

So, for the first time in a while, I went to Shinjuku.

The elevator lobby was packed with people, and so was the area in front of the theater when I stepped out of the elevator.

I was surprised.

And, once again, I felt happy.

So many people had come because they wanted to see this film, perhaps for many of the same reasons I did.

The fact that so many people were willing to take action and come here, all carrying something similar in their hearts, made me happy.

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What I Thought

I’m sure many people have already written about their thoughts on this film.

So I just want to write down the things that struck me most deeply.

As the title suggests, “Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People?” contains, in a sense, everything that has shaped the world we live in today.

At least, that’s how I felt.

I felt that the film contains the roots of all of it:

from war, to the smallest acts of violence, to quarrels between children.

And I also felt that the film contains a question:

What do we need in order to break free from the chains of all this?

The root of what Mr. Nelson carried within himself is something, I believe, that all of us have in one form or another.

It may look different. It may be a different size. But I think that root exists within every one of us.

Mr. Nelson spent a very long time acknowledging that part of himself.

He gave himself the gift of accepting it.

By accepting the ugly parts of himself, perhaps he was finally able to truly love himself.

That is what I felt very strongly while watching the film.

And that is why I really, truly want people to see this movie.

Of course, it is difficult to watch.

There are intense scenes of combat that fill the entire screen.

But the reality of being in an actual war is nothing like what can be shown on a screen.

Reality is something that can never be fully captured or expressed.

Even right now, at this very moment, there are people in the world who are actually living through situations like this.

And we, too, are living in a world where we have no idea when we might one day find ourselves in such a situation.

That is precisely why I feel we must not look away.

At the same time, although I want people to see this film, only you can know what your own state of mind is.

So please think about it carefully. Feel what you feel. And then decide for yourself whether you are ready to watch it.

It was a truly remarkable film—one that touches something deep within the human heart and continues to resonate long after.

That is how I felt.

September 27, 2026

mienaimonotachi

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