Spirited Away – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Spirited Away

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2001

87%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Miyazaki's masterpiece about a girl trapped in a spirit world—breathtaking, weird, occasionally terrifying, and absolutely unforgettable.

8.6/10

96%

8.5

→

Spirited Away

movie

PG, 2001

87%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Miyazaki's masterpiece about a girl trapped in a spirit world—breathtaking, weird, occasionally terrifying, and absolutely unforgettable.

8.6

96%

8.5

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8.6/10

96%

8.5

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Screenwise Verdict

This is the film that proves animation isn't just for kids—it's capital-A Art. Spirited Away is stunning, strange, and occasionally genuinely frightening in ways that serve the story. Your kid will remember the soot sprites, the radish spirit, and No-Face for the rest of their lives.

The catch: it's slow by modern standards, genuinely scary in parts, and requires patience and attention. This isn't background viewing. But for kids ready to engage with something richer and weirder than Pixar's formula (as good as that formula is), this is transformative.

The TMDB rating of 8.5 undersells it—this won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made in any genre. But it's not for every kid, and it's definitely not for every moment. Save it for when you can watch together, pause for questions, and process the weirdness as a family.

Age Fit

Best for ages 8-14, though mature 6-7 year olds with a taste for the weird may love it (with parental presence). Teens and adults continue to appreciate its depth. Not for kids who need constant action or get scared easily.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Models courage, perseverance, and personal growth as Chihiro transforms from a scared, whiny child into a brave, compassionate person. Strong themes of loyalty to family, respect for others, and finding inner strength. Some scary imagery and intense moments (parents turning into pigs, intimidating spirits) but handled with emotional maturity. The bathhouse setting teaches work ethic and respect. Pacing is deliberate and meditative rather than frenetic, which some modern kids may find slow but is emotionally grounding.

Imaginative

Miyazaki's masterpiece of world-building—a fully realized spirit realm with stunning hand-drawn animation, bizarre and memorable creatures (radish spirit, no-face, soot sprites), and a bathhouse economy that feels both alien and logical. Every frame invites wonder and curiosity. The film rewards close attention with visual details and doesn't explain everything, trusting viewers to explore and interpret. One of the most imaginative animated films ever made, period.

Safe

No gore, sex, or gratuitous violence, but several genuinely frightening sequences that can be intense for younger viewers: parents transforming into pigs and eating ravenously, the stink spirit scene, No-Face's consuming rampage and vomiting, Yubaba's giant head and threatening demeanor, and the overall eerie atmosphere. These aren't gratuitous but they ARE scary. The film earned a PG rating for a reason. Not a 'put it on and walk away' movie for sensitive kids under 8. However, the scares serve the story and aren't exploitative.

Enriching

Rich with themes about identity (losing/reclaiming your name), environmentalism (the river spirit), greed and consumption (No-Face, the parents), work and responsibility, and coming-of-age. Chihiro's character arc is one of the best in children's cinema—genuine growth from dependence to agency. The film doesn't talk down to kids and trusts them with complex emotions and ambiguous characters. Cultural exposure to Japanese folklore and Shinto concepts. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. A film that rewards multiple viewings and grows with the viewer.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Arguably the greatest animated film ever made—won the Oscar, and it's not close in terms of artistry and imagination
Chihiro's transformation from whiny, scared kid to courageous problem-solver is genuinely inspiring and feels earned
Visual feast of hand-drawn animation with creatures and settings your kids have never seen before (and will never forget)
Teaches work ethic, respect, environmental awareness, and the importance of remembering who you are without being preachy
A film that grows with your child—they'll get different things from it at 7, 12, and 17

⚠

What to Watch For

Several genuinely scary scenes: parents turning into pigs, No-Face's rampage, Yubaba's intimidating presence—preview if you have sensitive kids
Subtitled version requires strong reading skills; dubbed version is good but purists will tell you otherwise (ignore them, use dubs for younger kids)
Pacing is deliberate and meditative, not the rapid-fire humor of modern animation—some kids may say it's 'boring' in the first 20 minutes
Runtime is over 2 hours, which is long for younger viewers

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think Chihiro's parents turned into pigs? What were they doing wrong?"
"If you had to work at the bathhouse, what job would you want? Why does Chihiro work so hard even though she didn't want to be there?"
"No-Face keeps trying to give people gold and gifts. Why doesn't that make him happy? What does he really want?"
"Yubaba takes Chihiro's name away. Why is remembering your real name so important?"
"The river spirit was full of pollution and trash. What do you think that scene is trying to tell us?"

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