[4] On the eve of closing down for the last time, a local cinema is hosting an all-night movie marathon, showing classic Japanese war films.

The action starts in earnest when the 13 year old Noriko falls into the Setouchi Kinema movie screen and becomes a part of the film's narrative.

The three protagonists also jump into the screen, and find themselves a part of the fabric of the films they were there to watch, as they try to save people from the horrors of war.

Deborah Young of The Hollywood Reporter referred to Labyrinth of Cinema as "Nobuhiko Obayashi's opus", calling it "exuberantly shot" and "imaginatively edited".

[5] Mark Schilling of Variety wrote that the film "has [Obayashi's] characteristic blend of surreal whimsy and heartfelt emotion.