Children Untold Review (2026 Toronto Film Festival)
Post‑war Japan is a fascinating era to explore through cinema. Countless films have examined this period. Whether it’s Godzilla confronting the fears of the atomic bomb or Grave of the Fireflies depicting orphans struggling to survive. Children Untold, the latest film by Miwa Nishikawa, takes an approach similar to Isao Takahata‘s devasting masterpiece. Following a young orphan in post‑war Japan, captured with sweeping scope and ambition, though it ultimately feels overly ambitious.
After being away from her family for an extended period of time, Kotoko (Ami Koya) returns to Tokyo just after the war has ended. Returning to her former life is impossible as everything is completely gone. Her Mother and Father are missing, presumed dead, and her older brother, after being demobilised, is eventually found dead. Now all on her own, she must fend for herself to survive, which she does by disguising herself as a boy and joining a group of orphan boys.
Right from the outset, young Koya delivers an utterly incredible performance as Kotoko. Given the film’s heavy subject matter, she does a remarkable job conveying both the mental and physical hardships Kotoko endures, all while hiding her true identity as everyone believes she is a boy. The rest of the child actors are equally impressive, bringing their stories to life in ways that feel genuinely impactful.
Given the post‑war setting, accurate set design is paramount, allowing the audience to be fully immersed in the story unfolding on screen. Every location transports viewers to a time more than 80 years ago. Each set is beautiful in its horror, from the remnants of once‑standing homes to the dark streets crowded with people trying to survive despite having nothing to their name. Visually, the film is powerful, and the same can be said of its soundtrack.
The score is utterly incredible, a tantalising treat for the ears that gives each scene room to breathe and lets the emotion of the drama wash over you. It’s wonderful work. But is it worthy of its 2‑hour‑and‑30‑minute runtime? At a certain point, I felt I had already grasped the film’s central message. That the rich could resume their lives as though nothing had happened, while the poor, those who had lost everything, were forced to fend for themselves, only to be punished for doing so.
Orphans were given no social support, no government assistance, absolutely nothing, and I felt I understood this after about an hour. Which made me panic, as I still essentially had an entire film’s runtime left. Although the film primarily centres on Kotoko, it frequently diverts from her journey to focus on other characters. While her former teacher Sone’s (Fumi Nikaido) arc is meaningful, I found the sections devoted to the other orphans to be lacklustre, ultimately pulling focus away from the film’s core.
Children Untold is not a bad film, far from it, but I feel it’s ultimately too ambitious for its own good. In its current form, the film doesn’t justify its length, and that excess dilutes what is otherwise a truly powerful message. Perhaps Nishikawa’s forthcoming novel, on which the film is based, will fill in some of the gaps. Despite its flaws, the film remains a worthwhile watch thanks to the strength of its performances.
★★★
Had its World Premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival / Ami Koya, Fumi Nikaido / Dir: Miwa Nishikawa
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