2023 · 124 min · Animation, Fantasy, Adventure
The Boy and the Heron is Hayao Miyazaki's return from retirement — his first film since The Wind Rises (2013) — following a young boy grieving his mother who discovers a mysterious tower that leads to a fantastical spirit world. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2024, the film is widely read as Miyazaki's autobiographical meditation on loss, creativity, and the act of making art.
The Boy and the Heron streams on Max and Netflix with standard subscriptions.
Yes — The Boy and the Heron won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 2024 ceremony, as well as the Golden Globe for Best Animated Film.
Miyazaki has suggested it may be his final film, but he has come out of retirement before. As of 2025, no new project has been officially announced.
The film is rated PG-13 for some violent and disturbing content. It is more thematically complex and surreal than most Ghibli films, making it better suited for older children and adults.
The film is not a direct adaptation, though it takes its title from a 1937 Japanese novel. Miyazaki worked from an original screenplay.