The kids aren't quite alright. After watching his late parents go up in smoke at a crematorium, all Hikari (Keita Ninomiya) can think about is how their ashes look like the Parmesan cheese he sprinkles over his spaghetti.
On meeting fellow orphans Ikuko (Sena Nakajima), Ishi (Satoshi Mizuno) and Takemura (Mondo Okumura), he finds that they're equally unfazed by their recent bereavements. Blame the parents. Blame society. Or blame the fact that they're all 13 years old.
There's little space for sentimentality in "We Are Little Zombies," a vibrant, deliciously cynical tween comedy by first-time feature maker Makoto Nagahisa. The movie won a World Dramatic Special Jury Award for Originality at this year's Sundance Film Festival, which sounds about right. It's tart, refreshing and a bit queasy, like drinking too much C.C. Lemon on a hot day.