The Boy and the Heron

PG-13

Released Dec 8, 2023

2h 4m

Fantasy

Adventure

Anime

TRAILER

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List

97%

Tomatometer

267 Reviews

88%

Audience Score

1,000+ Verified Ratings

From the legendary Studio Ghibli and Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) comes a new critically-acclaimed fantasy adventure. After losing his mother during the war, young Mahito moves to his family's estate in the countryside. There, a series of mysterious events lead him to a secluded and ancient tower, home to a mischievous gray heron. When Mahito's new stepmother disappears, he follows the gray heron into the tower, and enters a fantastic world shared by the living and the dead. As he embarks on an epic journey with the heron as his guide, Mahito must uncover the secrets of this world, and the truth about himself.

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Critics Consensus

Soulfully exploring thought-provoking themes through a beautifully animated lens, The Boy and the Heron is another Miyazaki masterpiece.

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Audience Says

Boasting incredible animation and a satisfying story, The Boy and the Heron delivers more of the excellence that Hayao Miyazaki has trained audiences to expect.

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Peter Travers

ABC News

Japanese manga master Hayao Miyazaki, 83, came out of retirement for this hand-drawn beauty about his own life growing up in wartime. The Oscar for best animated feature belongs right here since Miyazaki’s unparalleled artistry shines out of every frame.

Feb 23, 2024

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Simran Hans

Monocle

I just found it utterly transporting.

Jan 5, 2024

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Tim Robey

Monocle

Visually, it's about as sumptuous as any of [Studio Ghibli's] films have ever been.

Jan 5, 2024

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Denise Pieniazek

EscribiendoCine

The Boy and the Heron restores order in favor of the family institution and harmony, delighting the public through its aesthetics and the music of Joe Hisaishi. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 8/10

Aug 6, 2024

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

If this Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature isn’t quite as mesmerizing as many of Miyazaki's past triumphs, it’s still a worthy achievement demonstrating that he retains his ability to create phantasmagorical worlds.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 22, 2024

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Calum Cooper

The People's Movies

The Boy and the Heron is another colourful gem to add to the filmography of one of cinema’s greatest contributors.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 19, 2024

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Jaime

Excellent movie and the art is so incredible!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/21/24

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Derek S

I've been a Studio Ghibli fan since I was a kid and this movie pales in comparison to their older work when it comes to story and likeable characters. I literally fell asleep in the theater and that's something I've never done. The animation was great, the music by Joe Hisaishi haunting, and the English voice cast did a magnificent job which is why I gave 3 stars.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/07/24

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Keaven

What you expect from Ghibli. Breath taking scenes, with crazy animals acting as humans or visa versa. Everything I wanted and more.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/21/24

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Nashville I

A return to the nostalgic Ghibli days of our childhood. A noticeable step up from The Wind Rises, Boy and the Heron provides a magical escape with a realistic connection to reality. It's voiceactors are well cast, and the music is tremendous.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/08/24

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Bill

Elegant if fantastic portrayal of a Japanese familys life with a likable lead character, a boy parallel to Chihiro in Spirited Away. Miyazakis depiction of the Japanese countryside is once again most impressive.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/12/24

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Keenan K

The Boy and The Heron is barely a cohesive story. Visually, it's stunning, which is what we've all come to expect from Hayao Miyazaki, but the actual story struggles to link things together. Multiple plot pieces are dropped without regard partway through the film, and character motivations struggle to make sense. The ending is the worst part in my opinion, as the multiple elements established in the magic "dream" world are completely dropped and no one even the movie just ends with no actual resolutions besides "everyone lived happily ever after". Additionally, there's clearly cultural elements being brought in from Japanese culture, but without any explanation to their reason or meaning they're completely lost. The entire film felt like a bunch of original pitch ideas for short stories, and the production just decided to loosely thread them together to make a feature length film. Personally, I felt like a bunch of the elements were just inspired by spirited away OR were originally pitched for spirited away that didn't make it to the final product, and were used here.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/10/24

Full Review

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Hayao Miyazaki

Director

Luca Padovan

Mahito Maki

Christian Bale

Shoichi Maki

Dave Bautista

The Parakeet King

Gemma Chan

Natsuko

Willem Dafoe

Noble Pelican

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The Boy and the Heron: Featurette - Toshio Suzuki on Hayao Miyazaki & the Future of Animation