Rare is the child who hasn't lain awake at night, terrified by the monster they imagine is lurking beneath their bed. But in a country where many people grow up sleeping on futons, such fears are perhaps less deeply rooted. That would explain why, in "Under Your Bed," nobody ever thinks to look in the vicinity indicated by the film's title.
If they did, they'd immediately notice Naoto Mitsui (Kengo Kora). When we first meet this introverted loner, he's taken up residence beneath the mattress of an old university acquaintance in her minimalist suburban home, where there isn't nearly enough clutter to convincingly conceal his presence.
The object of his affection — if that's really the right word for it — is Chihiro (Kanako Nishikawa), whose one-off coffee date with him 11 years earlier has since taken on enormous significance in his mind. Seized by a sudden desire to see her again, he tracks her down and starts spying on her from a rented property across the street.