Hoshi 35 – SRS Cinema (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 2023
Directors: Daisuke Sato, Hiroto Yokokawa, Kazuma Yoneyama
Writer: Hiroto Yokokawa
Cast: Megumi Odaka, Yukijirô Hotaru, Daijirô Harada, Shinzô Hotta, Robert Scott Field, Jun Hashizume, Yôko Ishino, Ryotaro Fujiyama, Oki Sugiyama

Release Date: November 11th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 80 Minutes 5 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $19.95

"Aki lived her young life with a baby monster but got separated from it for some reason. Thirty-five years later, a big earthquake hits her home. As the shaking grows stronger, a giant monster emerges... no longer a baby kaiju, the creature has grown..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Hoshi 35 comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 18.5 GB

Feature: 14 GB

Flesh tones look healthy, image clarity, contrast, and black levels are solid, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 3.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles. There are a few dialogue exchanges in English. The audio sounds clear, balanced, and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a photo gallery with music from the film playing in the background, a trailer (1 minute 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo with text in Japanese, no subtitles), a Behind-the-Scenes featurette (6 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), a featurette titled Great Star God Descends: An Introduction to Hoshi 35 (9 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and a short film that served as the starting point for Hoshi 35 (6 minutes 50 seconds, 2.35:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles).

Other extras include trailers for other films released by SRS Cinema.

Summary:

A superstitious rural village sacrifices young women they call priestesses to an alien being they call the Great Star God.

Although Hoshi 35 does a superb job drawing you in with its opening setup, its narrative moves at a languid pace. Another shortcoming of the narrative is that very little helps build momentum. That said, the narrative is dialogue-heavy and character-driven, while the Kaiu monster feels like an afterthought.

Despite featuring many elements typical of Kaiju films, this movie ultimately feels underwhelming because it lacks sufficient screentime for the Kaiju monster. By the time the Kaiju monster finally appears, it feels like too little, too late, and the story drags to an unsatisfying conclusion. The most impressive aspect of Hoshi 35 is its special effects, which far exceed expectations. Although it is clear that those involved in the making of Hoshi 35 are fans of kaiju cinema, the narrative could have been better constructed, and its content would have been better suited for a short film.

SRS Cinema gives Hoshi 35 a strong audio/video presentation.

Written by Michael Den Boer