Fantasy drama from Studio Ghibli master Hayao Miyazaki. While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his...
Fantasy drama from Studio Ghibli master Hayao Miyazaki. While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."
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Where to watch The Boy and the Heron
Trippy visions
The old maestro serves up no shortage of trippy visions. Hayao Miyazaki's films are like David Lynch’s in that if you approach them as puzzles to figure out, their meaning will slip through your fingers like sand; better to take the red pill and contemplate large, imaginative, emotional truths. Read full article
97 %266 reviewsRotten Tomatoes® rating
88 %1,541 reviewsAudience score rating
13+Age suitabilityChildren & Media rating
"A masterpiece."
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BBC
BBC"It’s a gift."
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RogerEbert.com
RogerEbert.com"If this is really Hayao Miyazaki’s last film, it’s an astonishing farewell."
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The Telegraph
The Telegraph"Miyazaki’s most visually complex and impressive movie."
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IGN
IGN"Feels less like a career-capping masterpiece than a lost film from earlier in (Miyazaki's) oeuvre."
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Variety
Variety"A director at the top of his craft."
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Collider
Collider"Enigmatic, at times narratively overstuffed."
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Hollywood Reporter
Hollywood Reporter"Lovely."
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New York Post
New York Post"Hand-drawn by animators whose artistry and effort you feel in every frame."
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The Times
The Times"Miyazaki remains the greatest living animator today."
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Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone"Miyazaki’s characters bristle with personality and lifelike energy."
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Financial Times
Financial Times"Irresistible in its dream logic."
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Vulture
Vulture"A mind-bending adventure that confuses and consoles."
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Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair"(Miyazaki is) still a master of the medium."
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Total Film
Total Film"A masterwork."
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Paste
Paste"Deeply moving."
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Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine"Sweet and soulful."
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The Guardian
The Guardian"Mystical and ambitious."
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Little White Lies
Little White Lies"Miyazaki at his dreamiest."
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Film School Rejects
Film School Rejects"If this truly is Miyazaki’s last film (unlikely, but still), he’s ended on a high."
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South China Morning Post
South China Morning PostThe Boy and the Heron | Details
Award winner- Best Animated Feature, Oscars 2024; Best Animated Film, BAFTAs 2024; Best Motion Picture - Animated, Golden Globes 2024.
- Rating
- 12A, moderate threat, bloody images, brief self-harm
- Runtime
- 124
- Genre
- Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, War
- Country of origin
- Japan
