Hirokazu Kore-eda's "Sheep in the Box," a drama about a couple who replace their dead child with a humanoid robot, opens Friday, Aug. 7, at Salem Cinema and runs through Thursday, Aug. 13.
The PG-rated film runs 2 hours and 6 minutes. It stars Haruka Ayase as Otone, an architect in near-future Japan, opposite Daigo Yamamoto as her husband Kensuke, a woodworker.
Child actor Rimu Kuwaki plays the robot child modeled after their seven-year-old son, who died in a train accident two years earlier.
Kore-eda, whose 2018 film "Shoplifters" won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, premiered "Sheep in the Box" at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in May. The film's title nods to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's "The Little Prince." Distributed by Neon, it opened in wide U.S. release on July 24.
In an IndieWire interview at Cannes in May, Kore-eda said the idea came from a news article about Chinese businesses using generative AI to bring the deceased back to life. "It seems a lot of people were expecting some AI dystopian, controlled-by-robots story and that they are surprised that it doesn't end that way, for better or worse," he said of early audience reactions.
Oregon ArtsWatch critic Marc Mohan wrote that Kuwaki "delivers a performance that manages to be both endearing and chilling." The film received mixed reviews overall, with critics praising its emotional warmth while noting it doesn't fully resolve its ambitious questions about AI and grief.
Salem Cinema, a three-screen independent theater at 1127 Broadway St. NE, has operated in Salem since 1990 and moved to its current location in 2009. The theater specializes in art, foreign and independent film.
Showtimes
- Friday, Aug. 7: 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
- Saturday, Aug. 8: 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Aug. 9: 3:15 p.m.
- Monday, Aug. 10: 3:15 p.m.
- Tuesday, Aug. 11: 3:45 p.m. and 6 p.m.
- Wednesday, Aug. 12: 3:45 p.m.
- Thursday, Aug. 13: 3:45 p.m.
Times are subject to change. Call 503-378-7676 to confirm.
Coming up at Salem Cinema
The theater's upcoming schedule includes screenings of "Taxi Driver," "Do the Right Thing," "Wet Hot American Summer" (25th anniversary) and a monthly Surprise Cinema series starting Saturday, Aug. 15.
