Movie review: ‘The Boy and the Heron’

Hayao Miyazaki has made a fourth return from retirement to grace box offices with “The Boy and the Heron,” which has received critical acclaim since its release in December 2023. The story revolves around a twelve year old boy named Mahito Maki – voiced by Luca Padovan – as he struggles to come to terms with a traumatic familial loss that happens in the film's opening scene. The film takes place in World War II era Japan – allowing for parallels between Mahito’s journey and the impacts of war on the country.

If this is your first experience with Studio Ghibli, you may be thrown off by the level of surrealism that, at times, can border on absurdism. Some may consider watching other movies from Hayao Miyazaki or Studio Ghibli before jumping into “The Boy and the Heron,” so that they can get a feel for Miyazaki’s unique storytelling.

In typical Studio Ghibli form, peaceful settings and a relaxing score – composed by Joe Hisaishi – offer reprieves throughout that allow for emotional healing within the main character Mahito, while also offering a beautiful soundtrack that enhances the emotional response of the viewer. To truly immerse yourself in this world, you may consider watching this at home with headphones due to the quiet nature of the movie.

As is usual with Studio Ghibli films, the English dub comes with a star studded cast of A-list celebrities including the voices of Christian Bale, Florence Pugh, Mark Hamill, Dave Bautista, and Willem Dafoe – however the show is stolen by “Twilight” star Robert Pattinson. With other recent films like “The Devil all the time” and “The Batman,” Pattinson is proving himself to be a strong actor that deserves more recognition than just being known as ‘that guy from Twilight.’ He is certainly showing audiences that he can do much more than just sparkle in the sunlight.

This is Pattinson's first film in which he lends only his voice to the big screen, and he knocks it out of the park – further stretching his legs into phenomenal actor territory and holding his own with the aforementioned heavyweights that this film boasts. Pattinson voices The Gray Heron, ironically distinguishing himself as a great actor by disguising his voice to make it entirely unrecognizable as his own. His role is an integral part of the story and, without his performance, the film would be missing a significant part of what makes it such a unique journey.

Whether or not this film is worth the two hour runtime depends entirely on the viewer. You can choose to go into this movie with the attitude of ‘it's just another animated movie,’ or you can go into it knowing that you will be taken on a journey that addresses loss, grief, existential crises and growing pains.

Miyazaki manages to create an immersive experience that takes viewers on an emotional rollercoaster filled with whimsy and nostalgia. By the end of the journey, the viewer is left with a deep feeling of completion, accompanied by a slight melancholy. We learn that beauty is found when you take the time to admire what you have, rather than what you have lost.