Patema Inverted
サカサマのパテマ
Patema Inverted
サカサマのパテマ
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Watch-outs
What this film brings
Content barometer
Violence
3/5
Notable
Fear
3/5
Notable tension
Sexuality
1/5
Allusions
Language
0/5
None
Narrative complexity
3/5
Complex
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
Patema Inverted is a 2013 Japanese animated film directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura, blending contemplative science fiction with an adventure narrative centered on two teenagers whose opposite gravities force them to rely on each other in a world controlled by an oppressive regime. The overall tone is dreamlike and melancholic, with strong themes of freedom, otherness, and resilience. Sensitive elements include a menacing adult villain who imprisons the female protagonist, explicit threats against her life, the off-screen death of a sympathetic secondary character, and several intense chase sequences involving armed forces. These elements are not isolated moments but form a sustained thread of tension throughout the film's second half, reinforced by the suffocating atmosphere of the authoritarian society and the villain's increasingly obsessive focus on Patema. Parents are encouraged to watch alongside younger or more sensitive viewers, particularly during the imprisonment and threat sequences, and to use the film as a starting point for conversations about power, injustice, and standing up for others.
Synopsis
A young girl, from a civilization that resides in deep underground tunnels, finds herself trapped in an inverted world and teams up with a resident to escape and return home.
Difficult scenes
Early in the film, Patema encounters a figure known as the 'bat man' in the tunnels, a shadowy character with red eyes who moves along the ceiling. The scene is brief but deliberately unsettling, designed to establish a sense of danger and mystery. Younger or more sensitive children may find this appearance startling. In the film's second half, the leader Izamura becomes a psychologically threatening antagonist. He imprisons Patema in a room where only a glass panel separates her from the sky she would fall into if released, while revealing the death of her friend Lagos. This sequence combines confinement, an explicit death threat, and a painful revelation, making it one of the most emotionally intense moments in the film. Izamura develops an openly stated obsessive fixation on Patema. While no sexual violence is depicted, this portrayal of a predatory adult fixating on a teenage girl may warrant a conversation between parents and children about what the film is critiquing. A sustained chase sequence inside the control tower involves armed soldiers pursuing the two protagonists, with gunfire implied. The tension is prolonged and the physical threat feels credible, which may be distressing for younger or more sensitive viewers.
Where to watch
No verified platform for the US market yet. We keep this section updated as availability changes.
About this title
- Format
- Feature film
- Year
- 2013
- Runtime
- 1h 38m
- Countries
- Japan
- Original language
- JA
- Directed by
- Yasuhiro Yoshiura
- Main cast
- Yukiyo Fujii, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Takaya Hashi, Shintaro Ohata, Shinya Fukumatsu, Masayuki Katou, Hiroki Yasumoto, Maaya Uchida, Hideyuki Umezu, Go Shinomiya
- Studios
- Purple Cow Studios Japan, STUDIO RIKKA, Asmik Ace, Good Smile Company, KADOKAWA, Directions
Content barometer
Violence
3/5
Notable
Fear
3/5
Notable tension
Sexuality
1/5
Allusions
Language
0/5
None
Narrative complexity
3/5
Complex
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
Patema Inverted is a 2013 Japanese animated film directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura, blending contemplative science fiction with an adventure narrative centered on two teenagers whose opposite gravities force them to rely on each other in a world controlled by an oppressive regime. The overall tone is dreamlike and melancholic, with strong themes of freedom, otherness, and resilience. Sensitive elements include a menacing adult villain who imprisons the female protagonist, explicit threats against her life, the off-screen death of a sympathetic secondary character, and several intense chase sequences involving armed forces. These elements are not isolated moments but form a sustained thread of tension throughout the film's second half, reinforced by the suffocating atmosphere of the authoritarian society and the villain's increasingly obsessive focus on Patema. Parents are encouraged to watch alongside younger or more sensitive viewers, particularly during the imprisonment and threat sequences, and to use the film as a starting point for conversations about power, injustice, and standing up for others.
Synopsis
A young girl, from a civilization that resides in deep underground tunnels, finds herself trapped in an inverted world and teams up with a resident to escape and return home.
Difficult scenes
Early in the film, Patema encounters a figure known as the 'bat man' in the tunnels, a shadowy character with red eyes who moves along the ceiling. The scene is brief but deliberately unsettling, designed to establish a sense of danger and mystery. Younger or more sensitive children may find this appearance startling. In the film's second half, the leader Izamura becomes a psychologically threatening antagonist. He imprisons Patema in a room where only a glass panel separates her from the sky she would fall into if released, while revealing the death of her friend Lagos. This sequence combines confinement, an explicit death threat, and a painful revelation, making it one of the most emotionally intense moments in the film. Izamura develops an openly stated obsessive fixation on Patema. While no sexual violence is depicted, this portrayal of a predatory adult fixating on a teenage girl may warrant a conversation between parents and children about what the film is critiquing. A sustained chase sequence inside the control tower involves armed soldiers pursuing the two protagonists, with gunfire implied. The tension is prolonged and the physical threat feels credible, which may be distressing for younger or more sensitive viewers.