Genius Party (2007): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2007, Genius Party is an animation and science fiction film directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, running about 102 minutes. “7 Impacts by 7 Directors” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. The seven short films making up GENIUS PARTY couldn’t be more diverse, linked only by a high standard of quality and inspiration. Atsuko Fukushima’s intro piece is a fantastic abstraction to soak up with the eyes. Masaaki Yuasa, of MIND GAME and CAT SOUP fame, brings his distinctive and deceptively simple graphic style and dream-state logic to the table with “Happy Machine,” his spin on a child’s earliest year. Shinji Kimura’s spookier “Deathtic 4,” meanwhile, seems to tap into the creepier corners of a child’s imagination and open up a toybox full of dark delights. Hideki Futamura’s “Limit Cycle” conjures up a vision of virtual reality, while Yuji Fukuyama’s "Doorbell" and "Baby Blue" by Shinichiro Watanabe use understated realism for very surreal purposes. And Shoji Kawamori, with “Shanghai Dragon,” takes the tropes and conventions of traditional anime out for very fun joyride.

Who’s in it. Genius Party stars Tomoko Kaneda, Rinko Kikuchi, Lu Ningjuan and Taro Yabe, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.4/10, Genius Party has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Genius Party page.

If you liked it. Fans of Genius Party tend to enjoy Spirited Away, Your Name., Grave of the Fireflies and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.