The Boy and the Heron

Name: The Boy and the Heron
Genre: Animation, Fantasy, Drama
Released: 2023-07-14
Duration: 2 h 4 min
Rating: 7.4
Cast: Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Ko Shibasaki, Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura

2023·Movie·PG-13·124 min·★ 7.4(2,649)

Animation Fantasy Drama More Japanese titles

“Where death comes to an end, life finds a new beginning.”

While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."

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Where to watch The Boy and the Heron in United States

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Click a service to open The Boy and the Heron there. Availability last verified on June 20, 2026.

Where is The Boy and the Heron streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, HBO Max	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
India	Netflix	Apple TV Store
United Kingdom	Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads	—
Canada	Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, CosmoGo
Australia	Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads	JustWatch TV, Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Germany	Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
France	Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads	Apple TV Store, Canal VOD, Rakuten TV
Spain	Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video
Brazil	Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads	Google Play Movies, Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
South Korea	Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads	—

About The Boy and the Heron

The Boy and the Heron is a 2023 Japanese-language animation, fantasy and drama film directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The cast is led by Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Ko Shibasaki. It has a runtime of 2h 4m. Viewers rate it 7.4/10 across 2600 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, HBO Max.

The Boy and the Heron was produced by Studio Ghibli and made in Japan. It was released on July 14, 2023, and carries a PG-13 certification. Made on a budget of about $50 million, it went on to gross $294 million worldwide.

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Writers: Hayao Miyazaki
Release date: July 14, 2023
OTT release: June 25, 2024
Original language: Japanese
Age rating: PG-13
Status: Released
Country: Japan
Budget: $50 million
Box office: $294 million
Production: Studio Ghibli

#loss of loved one#world war ii#supernatural#education#coming of age#spirituality#poverty#teenage boy#parallel world#troubled childhood#semi autobiographical#based on myths, legends or folklore#moving to a city#1940s

The Boy and the Heron cast & crew

The Boy and the Heron was directed by Hayao Miyazaki and written by Hayao Miyazaki.

The cast features Soma Santoki as Mahito Maki (voice), Masaki Suda as Gray Heron (voice), Ko Shibasaki as Kiriko (voice), Aimyon as Lady Himi (voice), Yoshino Kimura as Natsuko (voice), and Takuya Kimura as Shoichi Maki (voice).

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Joe Hisaishi, cinematography is by Atsushi Okui, and it was produced by Kiyofumi Nakajima and Goro Miyazaki.

Is The Boy and the Heron worth watching?

The Boy and the Heron holds an audience score of 7.4/10 from 2,649 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed animation films.

At 2h 4m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy animation, fantasy, and drama, The Boy and the Heron is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch The Boy and the Heron

In United States, you can stream The Boy and the Heron on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, and HBO Max, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

It first became available to stream digitally on June 25, 2024.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.