arloGet the appMovies like The Boy and the Heron
2023 · Movie · PG-13 · your starting pointIf The Boy and the Heron is the itch, these scratch it — some louder, some quieter. Free ones first.
Movies like The Boy and the Heron, ranked
1. The Boy Who Could Fly (1986)
This film shares the same tender approach to childhood trauma, using magical realism and a mysteriously gifted neighbor to guide a grieving protagonist through emotional transformation in a new home.
2. The Water Horse (2007)
A boy's discovery of a legendary creature becomes a pathway for processing grief and family upheaval during wartime, mirroring the emotional depth beneath fantastical adventure.
3. Ladyhawke (1985)
A cursed knight and his beloved separated by animal forms mirrors the heron's role as both guide and barrier, weaving medieval enchantment with intimate emotional stakes through Miyazaki-adjacent visual poetry.
4. The Ant Farm (2022)
Hayao Miyazaki's painterly animation style and use of magical portals to process grief find a haunting echo in this film's isolated setting where a couple confronts their daughter's death through unsettling environmental mysteries.
5. Lost Boys & Fairies (2024)
Miyazaki's exploration of father-son reconciliation through magical displacement finds its emotional core in this intimate family drama about paternal bonds and the painful work of moving beyond grief.
6. Wolfwalkers (2020)
Both films use hand-drawn animation to explore how young protagonists discover enchanted realms that challenge their understanding of loss and belonging, with Tomm Moore's visual poetry matching Miyazaki's emotional depth.
Tell me what kind of night it is — I'll pick the one for you.