An Instant Classic. A Psychedelic Fever Dream. A Bird With Boundary Issues.
I walked into The Boy and the Heron expecting a charming coming-of-age tale. What I got instead was a two-hour metaphysical therapy session guided by a war-traumatized child and a heron with the energy of a disgraced aristocrat turned drug dealer.
From the first five minutesโwhen the main characterโs mom immediately catches fireโI knew we were in for a whimsical trauma dump sprinkled with just a dash of interdimensional existentialism. Miyazaki really said, โYou want closure? Hereโs a screaming bird in a hat.โ
Letโs talk about the titular heron. He is absolutely the most chaotic, untrustworthy, suspiciously humanoid creature ever animated. He opens his beak like a retractable limousine door, talks like heโs trying to sell you ketamine, and leads our young protagonist through increasingly deranged set pieces that feel like Spirited Away on a caffeine bender.
The plot? Thatโs adorable. There is no plot. There is only vibe. You will witness towers built on towers, floating moms who might be someone elseโs mom, armies of parakeets committing light fascism, and a child so stoic he could teach Batman a thing or two about emotional repression.
Visually? Stunning. Conceptually? Disturbingly biblical. At one point, I was unsure if I was watching a Ghibli film or ascending into a fourth-dimensional moral riddle disguised as an animated childrenโs movie. I left the theater unsure of my name, but deeply convinced Iโd been judged and found wanting by a heron-shaped god.
My favorite part was when the boy went full Ghibli protagonist and said, โOkayโ to everything. Heron says: โEnter this terrifying portal filled with the screaming souls of the lost.โ
Boy: nods stoically โAlright.โ
Ten minutes later: โSwim through this sea of aggressive birds who want to colonize your face.โ
Boy: deep sigh โSure.โ
By the end, I wasnโt sure if he found his mother, his purpose, or just dissociated so hard he looped back into enlightenment.
10/10. I laughed. I cried. I googled โwhat the hell did I just watch.โ
Edit: Sorry for the one star. I meant to give it 42 metaphysical soul stones.