Spirited Away / 千と千尋の神隠し (2001)

Spirited Away is one of the most famous films from Studio Ghibli, and the only non-western movie to win the Oscar for best animated feature. The main character, Chihiro is thrown into a realm of spirits and must fight to get her name and family back before they are lost forever. She gets a job at a bathhouse and you become immersed in a beautiful and complex world with many interesting characters. The fact that this is the only Ghibli film that has won an Oscar is a tragedy, but this film is well deserving. Interestingly, Hayao Miyazaki actually declined to accept his award in person, as he was protesting the then ongoing war in Iraq, and he incorporated strong anti war themes into his next film: Howl’s Moving Castle.

In conclusion: The movie is excellent and if you enjoy it, I highly recommend the rest of the Studio Ghibli films, they are all great. 10/10.

Spirited Away is streaming on HBO MAX