Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy and the Heron’: critically acclaimed masterpiece now streaming on HBO

The Boy and the Heron by Hayao Miyazaki, which debuted in October 2023, is a critically and commercially successful film. The most recent picture from Studio Ghibli and renowned filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, The Boy and the Heron, depicts the tale of a small child who lost his mother in World War II due to bombardment.

The movie has been re-released in theatres by GKids, the company in charge of the American distribution of the picture.

What is the film about?

As he moves in with his father’s new wife—who also happens to be his aunt—a bold blue heron draws him into a different reality. The youngster will uncover secrets from his history and his family’s past in this realm, and he will have to make a choice that will affect both of their futures. Miyazaki’s meditation, The Boy and the Heron, was produced especially for his grandson.

Despite being called The Boy in the Heron in most other countries, the movie is known as How Do You Live? in Japan since it was partly inspired by one of Miyazaki’s favourite books. Yoshino Genzaburō, a Japanese author, explores the coming-of-age journey of a small child named Copper in his book How Do You Live? as he negotiates the difficulties of relationships, life, and pre-war Japan.

Based on 250 reviews, the movie has a 97% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. CinemaScore’s audience survey gave the movie an A-rating. The movie has also received “universal acclaim” according to Metacritic, where it has a weighted average score of 91 out of 100 based on 55 critic reviews.

Along with winning numerous accolades from prestigious organisations in the business, the film is the second-most award-winning animated feature of 2023, trailing only Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Where can one stream it?

You will need to use Max, the streaming service from Warner Bros. Discovery, if you live in America. Now, Studio Ghibli‘s entire cinema resides on Max, as the streaming service has extended its agreement with the studio for the foreseeable future. The precise streaming date in both situations is yet uncertain. On June 25, digital platforms will allow fans to rent or buy the movie if they’d like to add it to their collection. The Blu-ray, on the other hand, will be available for purchase on July 7th.

According to producer Toshio Suzuki, Studio Ghibli ultimately sold the streaming rights to its back catalogue in order to raise money for The Boy and the Heron. Given that the movie received some money from Max (HBO Max at the time), The Boy and the Heron will return home to the organisation that made it all possible.