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In Theaters Now
- 2023
- PG-13
- 2 h 4 m
- 2023
- PG-13
- 2 h 4 m
Summary A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning.
Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki
Written By: Hayao Miyazaki
In Theaters Now
- 2023
- PG-13
- 2 h 4 m
- 2023
- PG-13
- 2 h 4 m
The Boy and the Heron
7.2
Where to Watch
Summary A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning.
Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki
Written By: Hayao Miyazaki
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 51 Critic Reviews
92
96% Positive
49 Reviews
49 Reviews
4% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 51 Critic Reviews
92
96% Positive
49 Reviews
49 Reviews
4% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
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.
As you leave The Boy and the Heron, you may feel strangely bereft, emptied out in a way that I suspect Miyazaki both intends and hopes to console us against.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 131 User Ratings
7.2
68% Positive
89 Ratings
89 Ratings
18% Mixed
23 Ratings
23 Ratings
15% Negative
19 Ratings
19 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 131 User Ratings
7.2
68% Positive
89 Ratings
89 Ratings
18% Mixed
23 Ratings
23 Ratings
15% Negative
19 Ratings
19 Ratings
The Boy and the Heron is Miyazaki at his finest, so much so comparison with this other masterworks are inevitable. It's not as good as Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke, but it is still a potent piece of film making, lovingly rendered in hand drawn animation. So many images are striking and feels like we are walking through the maestro's lucid dreams and imagination. To say more would be a sin. This is the best film of 2023 for me. Bravo.
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While this dream-like warble of a swan song may be too pitchy and scattered to hit with the gale-force power that made “The Wind Rises” feel like such a definitive farewell, The Boy and the Heron finds Miyazaki so nakedly bidding adieu — to us, and to the crumbling kingdom of dreams and madness that he’ll soon leave behind — that it somehow resolves into an even more fitting goodbye, one graced with the divine awe and heart-stopping wistfulness of watching a true immortal make peace with their own death.
Hayao Miyazaki's 12th and possibly final feature film could not be more relevant as a call to action, bravery, and the unrelenting hope of childhood.
The Boy and the Heron leaves us with questions about our place in the universe and whether it’s worth saving. You may also exit the theater contemplating the afterlife. Regardless of the ideas swirling around in your head, you’ll have witnessed the work of a director who has not lost his ability to stoke your imagination.
The Boy and the Heron is a valuable new addition to this unique film-artist’s canon, about confronting a terrible sadness and finding a way to replace it with wonder and joy.
The Boy and the Heron is a gentler and slower though no less soulful addition to his canon.
Whether it’s your first or twelfth Miyazaki film, The Boy and the Heron is a beautiful experience for all cinema-goers, regardless of age, with its delightful animation, immersive worldbuilding, and soul-stirring storytelling making it one of 2023’s most comforting and moving experiences.
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"The Boy and the Heron" is a decent story about acceptance and letting go. However, it's extremely slow-paced, and it loses its significance if most people are unable to comprehend the meaning of the nonsensical plot points.
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Just saw it. If you liked Miyazaki's Ponyo (2008) (my favorite film of his) and, you wished he made a 100% dreamscape movie, then you'll like Boy-Heron. Heron also harks back to Spirited Away (2001), another child's hero's journey. Because Heron has far less narrative coherency than either of these films, I found my self bored on and off. Not only does it lack any strong narrative, it lacks an accessible theme; it lacks even story beats showing-telling us where we are going and why characters make the choices they make.
In retrospect, I think the first act is mostly wasted. Reddit has discussion on why the boy hits himself with a rock. About six possible explanations are offered. No consensus. The boy begins and ends as a traumatized cipher, a blank. At the end, the only change is he earns a connection with his step-mother. It's not enuf narrative structure.
On the plus side, the animation is lovely and non-corporate, a big plus.
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Disjointed artsy nonsense. I understand the story, it’s just poorly executed, overly simply, boring, and slow paced with no pay off. Ending is also abrupt and unsatisfying. Also extremely self indulgent with the Miyazaki stand in character toward the end. Didn’t like it at all. If anyone else had wrote such a disjointed mess, critics would tear it apart, but because it has Miyazaki’s name on it it’s a masterpiece.
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Awards
Golden Globes, USA
• 2 Nominations
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards
• 4 Nominations
Philadelphia Film Critics Circle Awards
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
