As Yuta (Hayato Kurihara) and Kou (Yukito Hidaka), best friends since childhood, prepare to graduate, a prank they play at school leads to the introduction of an AI apparatus that monitors students 24/7. The boys react to the draconian system of surveillance differently and their friendship is tested by touchscreens and tracking devices. Neo Sora's Venice debut feature (after the 2023 acclaimed documentary on his father, Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus) is cool, compelling and controlled. Set in futuristic Tokyo, Happyend is about growing up in a technopolitical dystopia. Perhaps this future is closer than we think.