Spirited Away (2001)

Spirited Away follows 10-year-old Chihiro as an ordinary family move turns into a breathtaking and eerie adventure. After wandering through a mysterious tunnel, Chihiro discovers an abandoned-looking amusement town that is actually a hidden world of gods, spirits and witches. When her parents are transformed into pigs, Chihiro must survive on her own, take a job at a strange bathhouse run by the fearsome Yubaba, and rely on a mysterious boy named Haku to help free her family and find a way home. Seeing the film is an immersive sensory experience: lush, hand-drawn animation creates a richly detailed fantasy realm full of bizarre creatures, inventive designs and small, meaningful details. The pacing mixes quiet, tender moments with tense, suspenseful sequences and occasional humor; the score and sound design deepen the movie’s otherworldly atmosphere. The film balances wonder and unease—its visuals and characters can be whimsical one instant and unsettling the next—so viewers feel both enchanted and unsettled in equal measure. Emotionally, Spirited Away is a coming-of-age story. Chihiro’s courage, compassion and resourcefulness grow as she navigates moral choices, befriends unexpected allies, and confronts forces that seek to exploit or erase her identity. The movie rewards repeat viewings: there are visual layers, cultural references and subtle moral themes about greed, identity, and environmental respect. Recommended for families and adults alike, the film offers a magical, sometimes haunting journey that appeals to children’s imaginations while giving older viewers rich symbolism and emotional depth. Expect to be transported into a vividly imagined world, moved by the heroine’s growth, and lingering on its striking images long after the credits roll.

Actors: Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette, Miyu Irino

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Runtime: 125 min

Genres: Adventure, Animation, Family

8.1 /10 96 /100 8.6 /10 8.8 /10