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The Boy and the Heron

The 100 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023

Kimitachi wa dô ikiru ka

2023

Hayao Miyazaki

Animation

7.1

5,676

Animation. Drama. Fantasy 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."

	Author	Review
United States	David Rooney The Hollywood Reporter	"An exquisite artisanal film that perhaps will mean different things to every viewer who surrenders to its enchantment."	POS
United States	David Fear Rolling Stone	"No one needed further proof that he's a master. This meditation on grief and growing up does solidify the position, however, that Miyazaki remains the greatest living animator today, period"	POS
United States	David Ehrlich IndieWire	"Hayao Miyazaki’s final masterpiece is the dream-like farewell of an immortal man preparing for his own death (...) 'The Boy and the Heron' is among the most beautiful movies ever drawn"	POS
United Kingdom	Tim Grierson Screendaily	"Hayao Miyazaki revisits familiar themes — the fragile bonds of family, the delicate balance of the natural world — to tell an achingly beautiful story (...) A film full of stunning images"	POS
United Kingdom	Radheyan Simonpillai The Guardian	"A sweet and soulful goodbye (...) For a film-maker like Miyazaki, that's the perfect note to go out on (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Brian Tallerico rogerebert.com	"Another wonderful piece of work from Miyazaki. It's a gift"	POS
United States	Carlos Aguilar The Playlist	"If this is a swan song, then it’s a ravishing one because no one has the ability to distill elemental truths into vividly rendered moving paintings like Miyazaki."	POS
United States	Tomris Laffly The Wrap	"Miyazaki blurs the borders and lines around reason, bleeds colors and shapes into one another and delivers perhaps the deepest and darkest Studio Ghibli film since 1988’s 'Grave of the Fireflies'"	POS
United States	Valerie Complex Deadline	"Whether you leave enchanted or perplexed, one thing is certain: Miyazaki’s impact on the art form remains unparalleled."	POS
Canada	Richard Eisenbeis Anime News Network (ANN)	"It is every bit the visual masterpiece expected of Miyazaki's films and will no doubt become a classic in the decades to come (...) it may not be the absolute pinnacle of Miyazaki's films, it's still a great one—and certainly not a bad one for Miyazaki to go out on."	POS
United States	Peter Debruge Variety	"It’s within the realm of Miyazaki’s earlier work, which is both comforting and slightly disappointing. He hasn’t done anything to tarnish his filmography. Nor has he expanded it in the way 'Spirited Away' did."	POS
United Kingdom	Matt Maytum Total Film	"Miyazaki's first film in 10 years proves that he's still a master of the medium. And if it's his last film, it's a fine one to go out on (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Johnny Oleksinski New York Post	"It leaves a powerful emotional effect if you let it wash over you (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Cole Kronman Slant	"An audacious fable about searching for truth in the unreal (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Cezary Jan Strusiewicz Polygon	"A gloriously demented farewell (...) 'How Do You Live?' has all the makings of a perfect swan song"	POS
United States	Barry Levitt The Daily Beast	"One of cinema’s finest auteurs takes one last bow—and it’s the perfect culmination of an incredible career."	POS
United States	Richard Lawson Vanity Fair	"There is much to savor, its visual splendor and its winsome insistence on life’s indelible meaning, stitched and seamed by daily choice and boggling chance"	POS
United States	Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times	"The great Miyazaki’s latest attempt at a swan song, uplifts and inspires (...) elegant and beautiful adventure (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Lucas Trevor The Washington Post	"A masterpiece for most, middling for Miyazaki (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Luke Y. Thompson AV Club	"Hayao Miyazaki plays the hits (...) The legendary Japanese animator treads familiar ground, in a good way, for what could be his final film"	POS
United States	Kristy Puchko Mashable	"A yarn of fantasy and tragedy that leaves audiences dropped-jawed in awe, a bit heartbroken, yet bolstered by beauty and radiant empathy"	POS
Canada	Chris Bumbray JoBlo	"A lovely and bittersweet reflection from an old master"	POS
United Kingdom	Ben Travis Empire	"An astonishing, sumptuous animated fantasy featuring everything you love about one of the greatest filmmakers of all time (...) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Andrea Thompson Chicago Reader	"Hayao Miyazaki’s latest isn’t perfect, but it’s full of the magic that viewers have come to expect"	NEU
United Kingdom	India Lawrence Time Out	"A visually stunning and seriously imaginative swansong for Hayao Miyazaki (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
Canada	Kurt Halfyard Screen Anarchy	"Is it worth the ten year wait since the maestro's previous film? Absolutely. Is it a boldly original masterpiece? Not quite. Does it serve a purpose in the tradition of Ghibli's lore and mystique? Resoundingly, yes"	NEU
United States	Rafael Motamayor IGN	"It serves as an ultimate statement from Miyazaki, and the perfect coda to his career"	POS

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The Boy and the Heron

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