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The Boy and The Heron - Studio Ghibli Fest 2025
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Synopsis
In the Academy Award®-winning film from the legendary Studio Ghibli and director Hayao Miyazaki, young Mahito moves to the countryside after losing his mother and follows a mischievous gray heron into a world shared by the living and the dead.
Cast
- Soma Santoki
- Masaki Suda
- Kô Shibasaki
- Aimyon
- Yoshino Kimura
- Takuya Kimura
- Keiko Takeshita
- Jun Fubuki
- Sawako Agawa
- Karen Takizawa
Moviegoers are saying
Miyazaki's deeply personal meditation on mortality and memory has left audiences emotionally shattered yet grateful, with many calling it his best work since Spirited Away. While some find the narrative scattered, viewers are unanimous in their awe at the master animator's ability to tackle profound themes of grief, letting go, and 'how do you live' through his signature blend of whimsical creatures and devastating beauty.
Top Mentions
Summary generated from the text of Atom User reviews
Letterboxd User Reviews
3.9
1.4M
264.7K
472.6K
- Dec 5, 2023
You can sit and ponder the very nature of existence and grief. Juggling the choice of letting go or staying. Asking yourself if you really had enough time with someone you love before that time runs out. Or you can crank 90’s and build a block tower
FramesofnickDec 7, 2023Forgetting is normal. There’s this obsession that we need to remember it all— to the point where we are practically vilified for forgetting and moving on. It’s unrealistic, but more importantly, unfair. Mahito shouldn’t feel guilty, neither should we. It’s an even more…
Joe ASep 8, 2023I once again leave a Miyazaki film thinking about the cute small creatures he makes I love them with all my heart
jonathan fujii - Dec 9, 2023
His best since Spirited Away. I do not say that lightly.
James (Schaffrillas)Oct 19, 2023The helplessness you feel when you realize the end is near— you want to cling to the memories of the past, but sometimes it’s best to just let it go. Staggering. We don’t deserve Hayao Miyazaki.
Joe AOct 19, 2023living in the same timeline as hayao miyazaki is truly a gift
cinemonika - Sep 7, 2023
spent some of the movie worried it was gonna be too hard to pin down, or aiming at too many topics at once, barraging the viewer with inventiveness at the cost of coherence. what a fool I am. Miyazaki knows exactly what he's doing, and the ending is so wonderful and…
David SimsSep 7, 2023How does someone follow one of the greatest and most profoundly summative farewells the movies have ever seen? By definition, they don’t. They retire, or they die. Or they retire and then they die. In some rare cases, it even seems like they die because they retired.…
davidehrlichDec 4, 2023the original title “how do you live” makes so much more sense because seriously how do i live after watching this
jeaba
Queue Community Reviews
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Community 23,690
Top Reviews
- Melissa Ely lovedThe Boy and the Heron
After watching this I suggest going to YouTube and watching a video explanation.I feel like this was a great last film for studio ghibli and gives the fans closure since it represents Miyazaki and the ending of his career. Very cute and magical movie with lots of meaning
Claytie lovedThe Boy and the HeronI feel like you have to know a lot about Hayao Miyazaki before watching this. But also it’s up to you how you interpret the message of the movie. I absolutely loved it and would love to see it again. I would say it’s one of my top Ghibli movies!
nico likedThe Boy and the HeronIt's not the best studio ghibli movie that's out there but I do like the small references from some of the previous films. However, time to time I thought that the storyline was a bit of and it didn't have a particular message. Other than that the movie was entertaining and…
- dietcokesonnyangel_girl likedThe Boy and the Heron
😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️ 😌🎏🪄❤️…
Lee likedThe Boy and the HeronToo busy trying to be an amalgamation of his entire career, that it forgets to take the time to breathe. Might be my least fave Ghibli protagonist, and the plot is lacking that usual Miyazaki originality, as I was thinking of Bioshock Infinite, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan.
Obihulk lovedThe Boy and the Heron8.2/10 ngl, this is one mysterious piece of art.It is a strange phenomenon that really brings a sense of magical worlds that makes me want to seek out more. It’s spirit is wonderous and beautiful and pleases my heart to a great extent. I Can’t wait to see what Miyazaki does next.
- Richard Keel is "meh" onThe Boy and the Heron
I either did not do enough drugs or did too many drugs because the narrative was kind of obscure. and did I see people thrilled that birds are pooped on them because it was good luck? Only the drugs know for sure. There are much better Miyazaki films to watch.
Ethan is "meh" onThe Boy and the HeronSo cute!
Anne-Laure likedThe Boy and the HeronL’animation sublime comme toujours ! Une belle histoire sur la transmission d’un héritage et le renouveau. Les différents niveaux de lecture sont un peu plus ‘complexes’ que ses autres films selon moi. Ça n’en reste pas moins une belle claque audiovisuelle, je recommande 😍
Atom User Reviews
Verified Review
Miyazaki’s films are always so enchanting
JS
Justin S
Metacritic
Dec 20, 2023
It’s a thrilling journey for both young viewers and those with more cause to ponder the afterlife. A fine bow from one of the great directors.
Tara Brady
The Irish Times
Dec 8, 2023
The Boy and the Heron, while typically bursting with imaginative elements, is also narratively tangled and a bit confusing, and falls far short of Mr. Miyazaki’s best work.
Kyle Smith
Wall Street Journal
Sep 27, 2023
If this film is Miyazaki’s true bow, it’s a magnificent final flourish that folds together many of the thematic and aesthetic threads he’s explored through his career: man’s relationship to nature, the majesty of flight, the twin pulls of love and loss. It’s stunning and inscrutable and measures among the best of his works.
Clint Worthington
Consequence
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