Spirited Away
The brief
Miyazaki's imagination runs completely wild here, throwing a 10-year-old girl into a bathhouse for spirits where every frame bursts with bizarre, wonderful creatures that feel both ancient and utterly original. The pacing moves like a fever dream - moments of quiet wonder suddenly explode into chaos, then settle back into something tender and strange. Chihiro's terror and determination feel completely real even as she's surrounded by talking dragons and soot sprites, grounding all the fantasy madness in genuine emotion. Perfect for anyone who loved Princess Mononoke or wants to see what animation can do when it's not trying to sell toys.
The verdict
If you have any appreciation for imaginative storytelling and don't mind subtitles, this is an absolute must-watch that showcases animation at its most creative and emotionally resonant. If you prefer straightforward narratives or get impatient with dreamlike pacing, the two-hour runtime and surreal logic might feel more exhausting than enchanting.
Watch with
- 👨👩👧👦 Perfect for family movie night with kids 6+
- 👫 Animation lovers seeking artistic masterpiece
- ⚠️ May be too intense for very young children
Heads up
- Parents transform into pigs (brief magical scene) (brief)
- Child in peril throughout fantasy adventure (moderate)
- Some scary spirit creatures and tense moments (moderate)
Credits
- Director
- Hayao Miyazaki
- Cast
- Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takashi Naitō, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Daveigh Chase
Official synopsis
A young girl becomes trapped in a strange new world of spirits during her family's move to the suburbs. To
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with Whisper of the Heart (1995)
Both Miyazaki films explore young girls discovering inner strength through magical realism.
Total runtime: 2h 05m + 1h 51m = 3h 56m
