Labyrinth Review: Shoji Kawamori Explores the Horror of Online Identity

Shiori battles her digital alter ego inside a surreal online nightmare in Labyrinth.

Review: Labyrinth

There are few things more defining for modern young people than the pressure of online visibility.

The desire to be seen.To be followed.To be liked.To become somebody through a screen.

And Labyrinth understands that pressure extremely well.

The newest animated feature from legendary creator Shoji Kawamori takes a colorful but emotionally uneasy dive into social media obsession, digital identity, influencer culture, and what happens when the online version of yourself begins replacing the real one.

And honestly, that concept feels more relevant than ever.

The story follows Shiori, a teenager desperate for online recognition whose growing rivalry with another girl fractures the boundary between reality and the digital world. Through her phone, an idealized version of herself escapes into the real world while the real Shiori becomes trapped inside a bizarre digital dimension known as the Labyrinth.

Inside this surreal internet-like space, Shiori encounters strange sticker-like companions who help guide her through the maze as she attempts to reclaim her identity, repair fractured friendships, and understand what parts of herself were lost long before social media ever took control.

What makes Labyrinth interesting is that it is not just talking about teenagers becoming addicted to phones.

It digs deeper than that.

The film constantly circles around the idea that modern fame has fundamentally changed. No longer does someone necessarily become famous because of talent, accomplishment, or artistic skill. Many people now become famous simply because they exist online in a way others want to consume.

And that obsession starts incredibly young.

Shoji Kawamori and writer Taichi Hashimoto clearly understand how emotionally dangerous that environment can become, especially for kids who are still trying to figure out who they are before building entire digital identities around themselves.

There is a sadness underneath Labyrinth that honestly hit harder than expected.

The movie repeatedly asks what happens to the “real” version of someone once their online persona becomes more important than the life directly in front of them. And while this is framed through fantasy and animation, it taps into something very real happening globally right now.

People doomscrolling through other lives.People chasing virality.People measuring their worth through engagement and visibility.

And most importantly, people slowly disappearing underneath the version of themselves they created online.

Visually, the movie is packed with energy.

The animation is vibrant, chaotic, colorful, and constantly moving. There are moments involving giant tech imagery, digital landscapes, kaiju-inspired visual sequences, and even hints of mecha aesthetics that longtime fans of Kawamori’s work will immediately recognize and appreciate.

The film looks fantastic.

That part is never in question.

But where Labyrinth struggles is narrative escalation.

Once the central metaphor becomes clear, the story never fully evolves beyond its initial concept. There are a few standout emotional and visual moments throughout the film, but the overall narrative feels somewhat repetitive after the setup is established.

That ultimately holds the movie back from becoming something more emotionally devastating or philosophically sharper.

And honestly, there is also a strange unavoidable question hanging over the film itself:

Do younger audiences even care about these warnings anymore?

Because despite how dangerous online fame is portrayed here, modern culture still overwhelmingly rewards visibility above almost everything else. The movie recognizes the toxicity of that system, but it also understands how deeply rooted the desire for fame has become.

That tension gives the film some of its strongest moments.

Even if the story itself does not always fully capitalize on them.

Still, Labyrinth remains visually engaging, emotionally relevant, and thematically thoughtful enough to resonate with audiences navigating the realities of digital identity and online performance culture.

Final Verdict: 2.5/5

Labyrinth delivers a visually imaginative and emotionally relevant exploration of social media obsession, online identity, and influencer culture through colorful fantasy animation and digital surrealism. While the narrative eventually stalls after its strong setup, the film still offers enough substance and visual creativity to make it an engaging modern cautionary tale.