Dance can open people up. We watch dance performances and series about those learning and performing dance because we enjoy the spectacle, but more importantly we enjoy the stories. There is something powerful about moving your body and using it to work through your grief, pain, or joy.

I am a lover of Dancing With the Stars, and a few years ago I bought ballroom dance lessons for my wife. It ended up being one of our favorite activities for years, as we could forget the world and just get out there and dance. The new film, Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty is about that powerful world of dance.

In the film we meet Ha-Chan (Rinko Kikuchi), who is living a happy life with her husband and dance partner Luis (Alejandro Edda). They are deeply in love, and deeply in love with dance. Soon, we see that at competition. While out on the floor they are graceful together as the world seems to disappear. That is until Luis drops dead in the middle of the competition.

In her grief, Ha-Chan disappears. She hides from the world and gives up on her passion for dancing. But soon, her friends arrive and give her the push she needs to get out. So, she returns to a dance class.

There, Ha-Chan is smitten with the new teacher, Fedir (Alberto Guerra). They get closer and begin an affair, but it turns out they are in different places. Is this the push Ha-Chan needs to get over her loss, or will it cause a bigger spiral?

This film comes from director Josef Kubota Wladyka, who co-wrote the film. It’s clear this is a personal tale for him and one that means a lot. All that comes through beautifully in the story.

Ha-Chan has a rich life of the mind. The way these moments in life and on the dance, floor come to life in her memory gives the film some flair, but also gives us great insight into her character. And the sequences on the dance floor are well done and engaging. There is a lot to draw you into the story visually and go on this journey with Ha-Chan.

The story goes in some weird and dark places. That doesn’t always work for me. But through it all I was drawn to Ha-Chan and to the wonderful performance of Kikuchi. There is a lot to like here, and I think this is a story that will be rewarding for viewers.

Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, September 25.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.