Spoilers will strike a pose.

Every film in Fantasia usually is spiked with a little bit of “WTF?” spice. There’s some that have so much of the stuff that have turned it into a sub-genre. So, get ready to get puzzled, philosophized and hopefully stunted by a feature that blends a few genres into a concoction that will either amuse you with its confusing developments or you might just want to stick to skipping this one.

Transcending Dimensions (2025) is written and directed by Toshiaki Toyoda. In a secluded resort, cult leader Master Hanzo (Chihara Jr.) offers enlightment at the cost of full devotion. That includes cutting off your little finger, something he seems to relish with sadistic pleasure. Worst, his control over his followers seems to be reinforced with some very strong supernatural abilities. Now a hitman Shinno (Ryuhei Matsuda) is infiltrating the ranks seeking to end his rule at the behest of Nonoko (Haruka Imo), girlfriend of missing cult follower Rosuke (Yosuke Kubosuta).

But Rosuke is not altogether gone, as he’s an astronaut headed to… Wait, what…? Is this happening before or after… Okey, sorry I got lost here. Now, to put us back in track, following the narrative and breaking the timeline might be the first and not the last of your challenges in this film. The premise takes leaps. However, we’re also regaled with some very necessary humour here that makes all these ramifications easier to assimilate. Don’t expect the resolution to tie up all loose ends but leave you with more questions than when you started.

Recommended for the lovers of the whiskey-tango-foxtrot category. It’s not completely absurd, and does provide an overall theme. Chihara Jr.’s performance as the sadistic but somehow charismatic Master Hanzo makes it worth it plus a helping of humour to make the crazy go down. Worth a watch for the appreciate crowd.

That will do for now.