All of these brilliantly subversive moments pull you into the picture, and it’s hard not to stray away from it, even if the movie fumbles the bag with a twist so uneventful it almost sinks the entire movie.

There are no great reveals or twists to Penalty Loop, but through a lean and surprisingly straightforward story (considering its time loop premise), Araki creates a film that is funny, tender and merciful in all the ways that life often isn’t.

Just when you think it’s settling into a familiar rhythm, the film takes a number of hard left turns, first into comic absurdity, and then into introspection in a way that separates it from the pack.

An absolute and utter joy of a film. Shinji Araki juggles genres like Steve Martin’s 1995-2005 filmography, moving between thrills, drama, comedy, and various genre conventions to deliver something truly special.