‘Soul-stirring’ movie with near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score is about to hit Netflix-Asyia Iftikhar-Entertainment – Metro

Studio Ghibli movie The Boy and the Heron, from visionary Hayao Miyazaki, premieres on Netflix this month.

The acclaimed Japanese animation – which grossed $173million (£130million) at the global box office after its release in December 2023 – follows young Mahito Maki who moves to the countryside after his mother’s death.

There he discovers a mysterious tower where he is guided by a grey heron on an adventure like no other to discover the truth about himself, and the universe we all share.

The fantasy-adventure – also produced by longtime collaborator Toshio Suzuki – was touted as the 83-year-old filmmaker’s magnum opus before officially retiring (although time will tell whether Hayao returns).

He is also behind masterpieces such as Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and My Neighbour Totoro.

The original voice actors include Soma Santoki as the Boy, Masaki Suda as the Heron and Ko Shibasaki as Kiriko.

The movie has won critical and fan acclaim (Picture: Studio Ghibli/Elysian)

Hayao Miyazaki delivered a masterpiece with his latest feature (Picture: AP/Invision)

Meanwhile, the translated version features a star-studded English-speaking cast including Robert Pattinson as the Heron opposite Christian Bale, Florence Pugh, Gemma Chan, Williem Dafoe, Mark Hamill and Dave Bautista.

If none of that is enough to convince you to tune in, then The Boy and the Heron also secured an Oscar for the best animated feature, beating Disney’s Elemental, Nimona and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

What’s more, it has also landed an impressive 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a deluge of praise from critics.

‘The animation is often hypnotic—souls become stars, a girl becomes fire, and you become enraptured,’ GQ wrote in its review.

And the Guardian added: ‘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.’

Timeout dubbed it ‘visually stunning and seriously imaginative’ and Empire called it a ‘kaleidoscopic self-portrait’ in a glowing five-star review.

It is finally arriving on Netflix (Picture: Studio Ghibli/Elysian)

It’s been called a ‘triumph’ (Picture: Studio Ghibli/Elysian)

Cinema-goers felt similarly, with user @metaplexmovies writing on X: ‘The By and the Heron is a dreamy triumph, an old master’s elegy and children’s fable about the kingdoms we create and how to let them go.

‘Miyazaki’s most demanding and achingly personal film, told with some of the most soul-stirring imagery I’ve ever seen. I loved it.’

And @bugsindapocket echoed: ‘Just a watched The Boy and the Heron for the first time and I cried so hard I gave myself a headache…’

The Boy and the Heron is Hayao’s ‘most personal film’ to date, inspired by his own childhood living in Japan during the height of World War Two.

And on the animator’s retirement, Toshio seems confident this is not the last we’ll see of him.

‘He needs to empty his mind again, and then when he’s emptied his mind with a blank canvas, he usually comes up with new ideas. So we have to wait a little more,’ he told IndieWire at the time.

The Boy and the Heron arrives on Netflix worldwide, aside from the US and Japan, on October 7, 2024.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

Entertainment – MetroRead More