Bloat is a 2025 Japanese-American horror film directed by Pablo Absento from a screenplay by Pablo Absento and Buddy Giovinazzo. The film is set for a US release on March 7, 2025.
After the tragic loss of their newborn daughter Ava, the Keenan family—Jack (Ben McKenzie), Hannah (Boyana Novakovic) and their sons Steve (Malcolm Fuller) and Kyle (Sawyer Jones) — decide to take a trip to Japan in hopes of recovering emotionally. Due to a sudden military escalation in the Middle East, Jack, an AI operator for NATO, is forced to stay at his post while Hannah and the children go off on their own.
During a trip to a remote mountain village, Kyle nearly drowns in a lake, but is rescued by a family friend, a nurse named Irico. After the incident, Kyle's behavior begins to change dramatically - he becomes aggressive towards his brother, develops an obsession with cucumbers, and suffers from vomiting green bile. Hannah attributes these symptoms to the trauma of the accident, but Jack, watching the proceedings via video link, suspects supernatural interference.
Jack's research leads him to the legend of the kappa, a Japanese water spirit known to possess children. He asks his friend Ryan (Kane Kosugi) to investigate the case on site. Meanwhile, Hannah's mental state worsens, exacerbated by her medication. After Kyle attacks Steve, Jack decides to return to Japan to confront the demonic force possessing his son.
The film climaxes with a dramatic confrontation in which Jack sets fire to the house to save his sons. The film ends with a trial in which Steve and Kyle testify in their father's defense, highlighting his dedication and sacrifices for the family.
