The Boy and the Heron

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The Boy and the Heron

PG-13

Released Dec 8, 2023

2h 4m

Fantasy

Adventure

Anime

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96%

Tomatometer

270 Reviews

88%

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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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Carson Timar

ClapperCast

This is so singular and individual within both Miyazaki's filmography and Studio Ghibli's as a whole. It is spectacular to see how much thought and emotion has been put into every frame of the film. It really is so special we got this.

May 1, 2025

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Truth be told, it's a Miyazaki animated film that boasts some pretty-looking animation work on the surface with its naturalistic flourishes, but sadly, its fantastical fable loses steam and has almost no emotion. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 6/10

Apr 23, 2025

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Francesca Steele

iNews.co.uk

Strange, riveting and something only he [Miyazaki] could make.

Rated: 5/5

Dec 11, 2024

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Choombies

It’s a Ghibli movie you know going into the movie that the animation is going to be beautiful. I enjoyed the movie for the most part, but I understand those who are upset with how confusing the movie is. Needless to say, this is a very abstract movie that I am sure I will enjoy more and more on rewatches, but not everyone has the time or patience to do that. This movie throws abstract concept after abstract concept at you with very little room to breathe which does get suffocating at many point throughout the movie. There are many messages and scenes to unfold, but very little time to do so in the manner presented.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/29/25

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Judah B

A beautiful film that doesn't seem to know what to say. Maybe this is profound for some, but for me, it is a pretty flick with bouncing themes and lovely, though eery music that was enjoyable enough.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/26/25

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Lamine S

It was not my favorite Ghibli movie, but it was a great one ! I highly recommend it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/08/25

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Tyler F

I wanted to like this one, but this is probably one of my least favorite Ghibli movies. The characters just didn’t stick for me. The story line was weird and didn’t hold any emotional connection for me.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/05/25

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Daniel G

It's Miyazaki and he never dissapoints.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/29/25

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PJ C

After years of waiting, Myazaki gives us another masterpiece.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/26/25

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

The Brutalist Takes Best Film at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards

Awards Leaderboard: Top Movies of 2023

Rotten Tomatoes Predicts the 2024 Oscars

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

4:35

The Boy and the Heron: Final Teaser Trailer

1:19

The Boy and the Heron: Trailer 1

1:55

The Boy and the Heron: Teaser Trailer

1:11

The Boy and the Heron: Teaser

0:32

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Synopsis

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.

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Producer: Toshio Suzuki
Screenwriter: Hayao Miyazaki
Distributor: GKIDS
Production Co: Studio Ghibli, Toho Company, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Nippon Television Network
Rating: PG-13 (Smoking|Bloody Images|Some Violent Content)
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Anime
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 8, 2023, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 25, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA): $44.2M
Runtime: 2h 4m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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