Rock Candy Reviews

The Boy and the Heron, movie review:

This movie is absolutely fearless in terms of connecting with the audience. The best part is that it’s not in the stereotypical ways, like surface level relatability or pulling at the heart strings. No, the anime film makes its audience feel anger, disgust, and joy in ways most movies of any genre don’t even attempt.

Anger

Many of the characters express their frustrations in ways that are hard to watch, but extremely effective in its storytelling. Our main characters deal with loss, bitterness, and confusion in private from each other, but we get to witness all of it.

Whether it’s Mahito’s uncomfortable silence and formality, or his father’s threats when mysteries becoming too difficult to solve, the characters’ rage is felt in a unique experience for each of them. Sometimes, even characters that seem to always be calm are shown to be mad by changes in animation or voice acting. All without any character feeling overly emotional or unreasonable.

Disgust

The film’s animation does not shy away from disturbing imagery. Feeling on edge or uncomfortable might not be the wanted experience out of watching a movie, but it is not always a bad thing to make an audience feel.

The close-up shots of The Grey Heron are detailed and eye catching. With the bright colors, and odd movements, the bird can make anyone morbidly curious about it. Some films feel the need to make strange animals appear more cute or human like for audiences to like them. Yet, the film takes a risk by choosing to focus and enhance the strangeness, and uses it to make a memorable experience.

Joy

One surprising thing about this film is the humor. The plot progression uses humor many times not just to break tension, but also to provide space for the story to take a breather from the ominous tone. This allows the audience to feel relaxed now and then, without losing the overall atmosphere. Every character has some sort of chemistry with one another, even if the whole cast doesn’t spend much time in the same place.

Little things, like the funny creatures of different settings, are used as a way to convey safety or comfort. Even wholesome moments of eating and traveling find a way to be plot relevant and enjoyable. This is mainly because the humor almost feels like it wasn’t written solely for comedic purposes. Instead, it feels natural and casual, thanks to the subtly.