In Takahisa Zeze’s “Cry Out,” a young girl (Nanami Yamazaki, left) endures multiple hardships following her father’s death, while her former elementary school teacher (Yuina Kuroshima) tries to help. | © 2026 ‘Cry Out’ Film Partners © Kanae Minato / Futabasha Misery and mystery are close companions in the fictions of Kanae Minato. Her 2008 debut novel, “ Confessions ” — memorably adapted by filmmaker Tetsuya Nakashima — was a prime example of what’s known in Japanese as iyamisu , a portmanteau combining the words for unpleasant ( iya ) and mystery, the author’s genre of choice. It’s a formula that Minato has returned to frequently. 2018’s “Mirai” (“Future”) employed a typical constellation of calamity, including child abuse, forced prostitution and incest. However, it was also the author’s first book to feature an afterword, in which she stressed that her story was intended to raise awareness of real-world problems, rather than just offer vicarious thrills.…