4.2 out of 5: Is The Boy and the Heron the best animated film of the year?

The Wind Rises After nearly 10 years, Hayao Miyazaki returns with his new masterpiece, The Boy and the Heron. In theaters last Wednesday, this little gem of poetry has been very well received by the French press, averaging 4.2/5 (for 35 reviews, on AlloCiné). It even tops the list of the best animated movies of 2023, Linda Wants Chicken! (4.1/5) and Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (id.).

A very good rating, even lower than most of the works of the 82-year-old Japanese director. So Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away have an average of 4.8/5, and Castle in the Sky has a 5/5, just that!

What are you doing?

After his mother disappears in a fire, Mahito, a young boy, 11, must leave Tokyo to live in the countryside, in the village where he grew up. He settles with his father in an old manor located in a huge estate, where he meets a gray heron who slowly becomes his guide and helps him in his discoveries and questions, to understand the world around him and to solve the mysteries of life.

What does the press think?

According to Les Inrockuptibles:

“Like Alice in Wonderland, Mahito glides from a dreamlike space through fantastical corridors with an unsettling thrill to say the least. In this way, we can be giddy as we see the film take off bigger and bigger, farther and farther. Fast, ever-changing, thank you. A powerful narrative engine created by a master at the pinnacle of his art.” (Jackie Goldberg) 5/5

According to Télérama:

“We find the whole world of the Japanese master in this lush, unrestrained and delicate fresco.” (Cecil Muir) 5/5

According to Critikat.com:

“The Wind Rises Ten Years Later, Hayao Miyazaki Returns With A Stimulating Film Split In Two, As Confused As It Is Distracted.” (Corentin Le) 4/5

According to IGN France:

“Emotions, confused looks, questions, exchanges… you’ll no doubt experience these situations when you leave a small event for Miyazaki’s new film The Boy and the Heron at Studio Ghibli. – or no event for Hermetics.” (Ervan Lafleuriel) 4/5

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According to Le Journal du Dimanche:

“The power of his visual world is intact, infused with a gentle melancholy. Once again, Hayao Miyazaki attempts to make peace with his past in this cathartic adventure that lacks a little emotion but is full of magic and poetry.” (Stephanie Belpesch) 4/5

According to the Prime Minister:

“Without holding anything back, the filmmaker leaves us free to interpret the final frames of this dazzling work. We’d expect no less from the great master of animation, who here seems more serene and inspired than ever.” (Damien LeBlanc) 4/5

According to La Croix:

“Very loosely adapted from a 1937 pacifist novel aimed at wartime Japanese youth, the 82-year-old director’s latest (and last?) feature is a disturbing and mysterious total movie that incites a fantastical quest. A young adolescent’s issue of mourning and transmission. (Stephan Dreyfus) 4/5

According to Le Figaro:

“The Wind Rises Ten Years Later, Japanese Filmmaker Directs Initiation Story With Great Aesthetics, But More Adult-oriented.” (Francoise Dargent) 3/5