The Boy and the Heron

Hiyao Miyazaki / Japan 2023 / 124 min / Cert 12A / Subtitles

Hayao Miyazaki’s first film in 10 years The Boy and the Heron is set in 1940’s wartime Japan and follows the story of Mahito a twelve-year-old boy who has lost his mother and moves with his father to a new rural town, following his father’s re-marriage.

There Mahito struggles to fit in, then meets a talking heron who leads him into a forbidden tower and then on into a fantastical world full of strange animals and magical characters that echo the world he has left.

A coming-of-age story, the Boy and the Heron explores grief, acceptance, and redemption.

“A strikingly beautiful densely detailed fantasy”(The Guardian) Wendy Ide- The Guardian.

“Thrilling, adventurous, spikily funny and beautifully crafted, a feast for the eyes, mind, heart and soul.” Ben Travis- Empire On-line