Three distinct segments with female protagonists explore themes of resentment, regret and loss: First, Meiko (Furukawa) suspects a colleague is seeing her ex-boyfriend (Nakajima), so she goes to confront him and air some unresolved issues. In the second vignette, the adulterous Nao (Mori) tries to put a famous professor (Shibukawa) in a compromising position at the behest of her lover, whom the professor once failed. The final chapter follows two women, Natsuko (Urabe) and Nana (Kawai), who somehow mistake each other for different people in their past.

Before he broke through with 2021’s Oscar-winning “Drive My Car,” writer/director Hamaguchi helmed this cerebral, utterly fascinating anthology. Though short on action and long on conversation, the intimacy and immediacy of these tales hold us fast. Each segment feels bracingly real, and Hamaguchi’s nuanced dialogue offers up plenty of clues about these characters’ past and present. Anyone craving some smart, subtle filmmaking should give this “Wheel” a spin.