ドロステのはてで僕ら

Dorosute no hate de bokura Literal: We at the end of the Droste English release: Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes

by 上田誠, directed by 山口淳太

Release: 5 June 2020
Format: Feature Film
Genre: Science Fiction
Audience: Adults
Content: Definite Time Travel
Original Language: English

For the first sixty minutes, a perfect static timeline seemed to be emerging from Kato’s video stream from two minutes in the future. We might even get some philosophical commentary on free will! Alas, that was not to be as the final ten minutes presented a more commonplace ending, although the single-take nagamawashi was executed with perfection and garnered this fun film an Eloi Medal.

P.S. Don’t skip the end-credits!

— Michael Main

Your monitor and the shop’s TV are linked with a two-minute delay.

DEBUT

[ex=bare]ドロステのはてで僕ら | We at the end of the Droste | Dorosute no hate de bokura[/ex] (at limited theaters, Japan, 5 June 2020).

VARIANTS

1 English variant

TRANSLATIONS: No translations.

TAGS(SPOILERS!)

Time Periods

Circa AD 2000 to 2099: presumed time period of the shop
Unspecified Future Year: time of the Time and Space Bureau

Timeline Models

Foretold or Seen Future Is Not Set in Stone: For the first sixty minutes, a single, static timeline seemed to be in the cards, but that went off the rails in the final ten minutes of the film.
Narrative Time: The agents from the future disappear in a classic stroke of narrative time.
Viewing the Future

Time Travel Methods

N-Second/Minute Time Machine: The time delay is about two minutes.
Unexplained Time Travel Methods: The travel of the time cops is unexplained.

Themes

Butterfly Effect: briefly mentioned
Ex Nihilo Knowledge: The set-up results in multiple examples of ex nihilo knowledge, beginning with the location of Kato’s guitar pick.
Get Rich Quick through Time Travel: A clever ex nihilo scheme to get rich quick.
Letters, Texts, Phone Calls, Talking, and Other Direct Communications through Time
Never Change the Past!: The agents make it clear that they are worried about even small changes messing up their future.
Time Chain: A gossip chain is briefly mentioned.
Time Corps: The Bureau of Space and Time

TIME TRAVEL ITINERARY (SPOILERS!)

From one of the monitors, an unspecified date ⋙ to the other monitor, two minites earlier. Note: The stream-to-the-past continues throughout the film.
From an unspecified place and time in the future, an unspecified date ⋙ to the shop in the movie at an unknown time. Note: two agents from the Time and Space Bureau.