The Boy and the Heron (2023)

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."

Genres: Animation, Fantasy, Drama

What to watch after The Boy and the Heron

• From Up on Poppy Hill (2011) — Hayao Miyazaki wrote for both
• Pom Poko (1994)
• When Marnie Was There (2014) — Same feel: mysterious, emotional
• The Wind Rises (2013) — Same subject: world war ii
• Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (1997) — Two steps away in the credits
• The Bird People in China (1998) — Same feel: mysterious, philosophical