Does action-packed Japanese cyberpunk dystopia sound like your kind of film?
The iconic 1988 sci-fi anime Akira is back in cinemas from April 17. Digitally remastered in 4k, and with hundreds of screenings across the city, there’s really no excuse to miss it.
From the mind of director Katsuhiro Otomo, Akira is set in a near-apocalyptic imagining of 2019 neo-Tokyo, following the aftermath of World War III. It follows biker-gang ringleader Kaneda tearing through neon-lit city streets, racing against his rivals, until a fateful encounter with a mysterious boy leads to the kidnapping of his best friend, Tetsuo. Kaneda will stop at nothing to get him back, and torturous military experiments and spiralling madness ensue.
The film is based on Otomo’s manga masterpiece of the same name. Its influence has spanned decades, so much so that the image of Kaneda racing down the streets of neo-Tokyo was recreated in Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One (2018).
Tickets are selling fast (it’s already sold out at BFI IMAX). But you can still catch Akira at over 30 London cinemas if you’re quick, including The Garden Cinema and Regent Street Cinema, as well as chains like Picturehouse, Odeon and Vue.
Not about town? Screenings run for the next couple of months, with Prince Charles Cinema showing it through June 13. Time to rally the group chat, or try your luck and catch it a second time if once wasn’t enough. You can watch the trailer and get your tickets here.
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