Overview
Three intertwined tales of love and regret unfold in a beautifully crafted narrative.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- intimate
- witty
- melancholic
- quiet evening
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Hamaguchi’s elegant anthology structure, emotionally precise dialogue, and affecting exploration of human connection through coincidence.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film presents three separate movements centered on different women and connected by recurring concerns with coincidence, choice, and regret.
Unexpected encounters, misunderstandings, and accidental revelations determine the characters’ romantic and personal trajectories.
The failed seduction trap and other encounters unfold through sustained, psychologically layered conversations rather than conventional action.
The film’s dramatic force comes from carefully staged interpersonal exchanges and understated observation.
Films like Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, and why
Asako I & II
Like Hamaguchi’s film, it uses conversational drama, romantic uncertainty, and emotional ambiguity to examine intimacy and regret.
Right Now, Wrong Then
Shares an episodic structure, quiet psychological tension, and finely observed relationships shaped by coincidence and missed connection.
Drive My Car
Comparable for its Japanese art-house romance, patient dialogue, and focus on desire, memory, and interpersonal miscommunication.
Three Times
Shares a triptych structure and emotionally intricate stories about chance encounters, longing, and the consequences of choices.
Movie Details
- Director
- Ryusuke Hamaguchi
- Release Date
- 2021-04-11
- Runtime
- 121 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (373)
Cast
- Kotone Furukawa
- Ayumu Nakajima
- Hyunri
- Kiyohiko Shibukawa
- Katsuki Mori
- Shouma Kai
- Fusako Urabe
- Aoba Kawai
- Hitoshi Omika
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, Film Movement Plus Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy about?
- Three chance-shaped encounters reveal how desire, misunderstanding, and regret can quietly redirect intimate lives.
- What is Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy.
- What did critics think of Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy?
- Critics broadly praised Hamaguchi’s elegant anthology structure, emotionally precise dialogue, and affecting exploration of human connection through coincidence.
- Which films are like Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy?
- Films with a similar feel include Asako I & II, Right Now, Wrong Then, Drive My Car, and Three Times.
- How long is Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy?
- Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy runs 121 minutes.
- Where can I watch Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy?
- In United States, Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy streams on MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, Film Movement Plus Amazon Channel.
