The Limit of Sleeping Beauty (2017 Film)
The Limit of Sleeping Beauty (Japanese: リミット・オブ・スリーピング・ビューティー) is a 2017 Japanese psychological drama film written and directed by Ken Ninomiya. The film explores the psychological decline of a woman struggling to maintain her identity while working in the entertainment industry.
Plot
The story follows Aki Oria, played by Yuki Sakurai, who moved to Tokyo a decade prior with aspirations of becoming an actress. At 29 years old, her career has stalled, and she finds herself working as a magician's assistant. Her professional life involves feigning hypnosis during stage performances, a repetitive act that begins to erode her perception of reality. As her mental state deteriorates, the boundaries between her actual life and the illusions she performs on stage become increasingly blurred.
Cast
The film features a central performance by Yuki Sakurai, supported by Issey Takahashi. The cast includes:
- Yuki Sakurai as Aki Oria
- Issey Takahashi as Kaito
- Ippei Sasaki
- Masato Shinkawa
- Junko Abe
- Tomokoi Kimura
- Chiaki Kawamo
- Ryo Narita
- Hatsuo Yamaya
- Shinnosuke Mitsushima
Production
The film was directed and written by Ken Ninomiya, with Haruo Umekawa serving as producer. The cinematography was handled by Daisuke Soma. It was distributed by Arc Films and released in Japan on October 21, 2017, with a total runtime of 89 minutes.