2023 was a good year for the masters. From Scorcese to Miyazaki, a bunch of true legends came back with new works. This one captivated me from the very first scene. The way he brought to life the fires of war, the pain of youthful grief, and the mysteries of the grown-up world was absolutely mesmerizing. And that is before the world building even got going. That's not to say that there weren't moments when the trippiness tripped me up or when the story either lagged or rushed. There absolutely were. Still, the ability to take my entire family to the theater for a new Miyazaki release is a gift after all these years of watching his older works together. A few years back we saw Spirited Away when it was re-released in theaters and this experience was akin to that. The movie wasn't my favorite Ghibli film, but I won't forget it anytime soon either.
Review of The Boy and the Heron
