The Boy and the Heron
The Boy and the Heron
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."
PapaHamzeh reviewedApril 2, 2025
I'm gonna get thrashed for every one of these Ghibli movies I rate. And that's OK. I accept my punishment from the masses. Ghibli movies are like the Nintendo games of film; a rabid fan base that will, time and time again, show up for their turn at the watering hole and come away saying 'Gee I'm glad I got to drink that, whatever it was!' In my experience, the movies are Big Concept but the bag is fumbled in execution. I want to be clear: I think they are beautiful, I think they are well designed...and that may be it. The philosophical discussions often feel like stream-of-consciousness that leads to nowhere in particular. The themes frequently are put upon the table in high fashion, but I never see anyone really pig out of the food, so to speak.
This movie was beautiful. Truly. And it got weirder and weirder, which I absolutely love. The voice acting was...pretty good (bait and switch by a certain BIG casting choice was irritating). Overall, my turn at the watering hole made me think 'Well. I certainly drank something and now my mouth is wet.'