--- title: "Black Box Diaries: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/black-box-diaries/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/black-box-diaries" critics_score: 78 critics_reviews: 16 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Black Box Diaries (2024): what the critics said Critics' score 78 from 16 reviews: 13 positive, 3 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics find Black Box Diaries absorbing and emotionally forceful, with praise centred on Itō’s first-person footage and her persistence in seeking justice. The diary recordings give the investigation a private, human dimension, showing the psychological cost of her public struggle. The reviews also value the film’s account of institutions failing survivors, while several praise the editing for shaping investigative material and intimate moments into a clear, compelling narrative. The available verdicts range from enthusiastic endorsement to more qualified approval, with reservations focused on investigative technique rather than the value of Itō’s testimony. IndieWire finds some investigative sequences awkward and amateurish, despite the strength of the personal footage. The Guardian wants a more precise explanation of how pivotal hotel CCTV footage is obtained. These are limited objections within a broadly favourable consensus; the inaccessible reviews do not provide enough evidence to identify a substantive dissenting position. ## Variety — Guy Lodge Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 26 January 2024. Festival review. Lodge finds the documentary remarkable, riveting, and an unusually powerful account of systemic injustice through one survivor’s experience. He especially praises how Ito’s candid diary footage and investigative material are woven into a compelling, emotionally precise narrative. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/black-box-diaries-review-1235888068/) ## IndieWire — Natalia Winkelman Rating B+. 24 October 2024. The review finds the documentary emotionally compelling, though some investigative sequences feel awkward and amateurish. It praises the intimate first-person footage and the film’s portrayal of Ito’s increasingly visible trauma. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/black-box-diaries-review-1235059818/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 22 October 2024. Bradshaw finds the documentary remarkable and regards Itō as a courageous journalist whose actions may have changed Japanese history. He praises her intelligence and courage, while mildly wishing the film explained more precisely how it obtained the pivotal hotel CCTV footage. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/oct/22/black-box-diaries-review-inside-the-remarkable-events-that-triggered-japans-metoo-movement) ## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen Rating 4/5. 23 October 2024. The review finds the documentary troubling but deeply absorbing. It praises the film’s defiant, outraged account of Japan’s #MeToo moment. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/black-box-diaries-review-2024) ## Slant Magazine — Ross McIndoe Rating 3/4. 1 February 2024. The review finds the film a courageous, intimate account of an arduous fight for justice, while underscoring the system’s failure to protect survivors. It praises Itō’s calm, luminous screen presence, especially in her private moments with friends. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/black-box-diaries-review/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Lovia Gyarkye Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 26 October 2024. The critic calls the documentary sobering and compelling, praising how it makes Ito’s pursuit of legal recourse clear and propulsive. The diaristic iPhone videos stand out for revealing her private pain and reclaiming testimony as a healing act. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/black-box-diaries-review-sexual-assault-documentary-1236045625/) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No praise or complaint can be verified from the supplied page. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/black-box-diaries-documentary-film-review) ## Screen Daily — Fionnuala Halligan Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 21 January 2024. Festival review. The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. Its standfirst says Ito documents her five-year struggle to bring her rapist to justice. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/black-box-diaries-sundance-review/5189499.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint can be verified. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/24/movies/black-box-diaries-review.html) ## Film Stories — James Harvey Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 24 October 2024. The critic calls the documentary one of the year’s best and a remarkably assured, powerful crowd-pleaser. They single out Itō’s compelling screen presence and the film’s exceptional journalistic craft. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/black-box-diaries-review-a-singularly-brilliant-act-of-journalism/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 21 January 2024. Festival review. The critic calls the documentary a powerful, vital work about reclaiming strength and seeking justice. They especially praise Ito’s direct-to-camera diary moments and handwritten entries for making her emotional struggle vivid. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/shiori-ito-black-box-diaries-review/) ## Paste — Jacob Oller Rating 7.9. 20 January 2024. Festival review. Oller finds the documentary riveting and emotionally powerful, praising Itō’s tenacious agency and journalistic rigor. He singles out its intimate, first-person footage for immersing viewers in her investigation and struggle. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/sundance-2024/black-box-diaries-review) ## Consequence — Clint Worthington Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2024. Festival review. Worthington calls the film a brave, uncompromising debut and a compelling act of personal healing. He especially praises its portraits of everyday bravery, singling out a late conversation with the hotel doorman as deeply moving. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2024/01/black-box-diaries-review-shiori-ito/) ## Deadline — Valerie Complex Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 28 January 2024. Festival review. The critic views the documentary as a compelling chronicle of resilience and a forceful indictment of institutions that protect the powerful. They praise its intimate, precise filmmaking for conveying Ito’s psychological ordeal and determination. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2024/01/black-box-diaries-review-chronicle-resilience-against-flawed-system-sundance-film-festival-1235806923/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 25 October 2024. Wilkinson finds the documentary raw, intimate, and powerful in its account of Ito’s pursuit of justice. She particularly praises the editing for shaping the emotional ebb and flow of Ito’s experience. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/black-box-diaries-2024-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 24 January 2024. Festival review. The headline presents the film as a gripping, positive account of a woman’s quest for closure. It singles out that quest as the film’s strength. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/black-box-diaries-review-a-gripping-look-at-one-womans-quest-for-closure-sundance-20240124/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/black-box-diaries.md