Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

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Screenwise Verdict

Let's be real: this is a stunning, heartbreaking masterpiece that most kids will find boring as hell.

Miyazaki made this as a deeply personal meditation on grief, legacy, and letting go—reportedly his final film. It's visually breathtaking, thematically rich, and critics rightfully worship it. But it's also slow, surreal, and emotionally heavy in ways that require serious maturity. The opening scene involves the protagonist's mother dying in a hospital fire during WWII. The heron is genuinely creepy. The pacing makes Totoro feel like Fast & Furious.

If you have a thoughtful, patient 10-12 year old who's dealt with loss or big life changes, this could be profoundly meaningful—a film that gives them permission to feel complex emotions and sit with sadness. But if your kid needs constant stimulation or hasn't developed tolerance for slow, symbolic storytelling, they'll tap out in 20 minutes.

This isn't a family movie night crowd-pleaser. It's an art film that happens to be animated. Approach accordingly.

Age Fit

Best for emotionally mature 10-14 year olds who can handle slow pacing and heavy themes. Younger kids will be bored or scared; older teens might appreciate it but it's not exactly 'cool' viewing. This is for the thoughtful, artsy kid.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

72

Miyazaki's film centers on grief, family, and emotional processing with his signature gentle touch. The protagonist's journey through loss and acceptance of his stepmother models emotional growth. However, the film deals with heavy themes (mother's death, wartime setting) and can be melancholic and emotionally complex rather than purely uplifting. The pacing is deliberately slow and contemplative, which is age-appropriate but may challenge modern kids' attention spans.

Imaginative

95

Studio Ghibli at peak form—a dreamlike world shared by the living and the dead, fantastical creatures, surreal imagery, and Miyazaki's unparalleled visual storytelling. The film invites viewers into a deeply original, metaphor-rich universe that sparks wonder and interpretation. This is imaginative cinema at its finest, blending reality and fantasy in ways that encourage creative thinking and multiple viewings to unpack meaning.

Safe

68

Common Sense Media rates it 10+, which signals some intense content. The film opens with the mother's death in a hospital fire during WWII—traumatic and potentially triggering. There are surreal, sometimes unsettling images typical of Miyazaki's darker work (think Spirited Away's intensity). The heron character can be creepy, and the dreamlike sequences may confuse or frighten younger viewers. No gore, sex, or inappropriate content, but the emotional weight and wartime context require preparation. This isn't a 'put it on and walk away' film for sensitive kids.

Enriching

88

Exceptional critical acclaim (96% RT critics, 91 Metacritic) signals depth and artistic merit. The film explores grief, acceptance, family bonds, and the liminal space between life and death with sophistication. It offers rich opportunities for discussion about loss, change, and emotional resilience. Miyazaki's final film (allegedly) carries thematic weight about legacy and letting go. However, its slow pacing and symbolic density may go over younger kids' heads, limiting immediate enrichment for the lower end of the age range.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Studio Ghibli's visual mastery at its absolute peak—every frame is museum-worthy
Tackles grief and loss with rare sophistication, giving kids language for processing complex emotions
Invites multiple viewings and deep family discussions about death, change, and letting go
Critics adore it (96% RT, 91 Metacritic)—this is capital-A Art that respects young viewers' intelligence
No cheap laughs or pandering; treats kids as capable of handling real emotional weight

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What to Watch For

Mother dies in a wartime hospital fire in the opening—not a spoiler, but prepare sensitive kids
Surreal, sometimes creepy imagery (the heron itself is unsettling, dream sequences can be confusing or scary)
Glacially slow pacing by modern standards—kids used to Marvel quips every 30 seconds will struggle
Symbolism-heavy and open to interpretation, which means younger kids may be lost or bored
WWII setting includes period-appropriate tension and historical heaviness

Conversation Starters

"How do you think Mahito felt about his dad getting remarried so soon after his mom died?"
"The world of the living and the dead mixing together—what do you think that represents?"
"If you could build your own fantasy world like the one in the movie, what would it look like?"
"Why do you think the heron kept trying to get Mahito to follow him?"
"What do you think Miyazaki was trying to say about letting go and moving forward?"

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The Boy and the Heron