97
Polygon by Petrana Radulovic
Because the romance takes a back seat in favor of the main character’s growth, with the primary climax focused inward, Suzume ends up with a particularly unique and beautiful romantic arc.
Suzume (すずめの戸締まり)
Critic Rating
(read reviews)User Rating
- Japan
- 2022
- · 122m
Director
Makoto Shinkai
Cast
Nanoka Hara,
Hokuto Matsumura,
Eri Fukatsu,
Shota Sometani,
Sairi Ito,
Kotone Hanase
Genre
Adventure,
Animation,
Drama,
Fantasy
When a small town girl named Suzume discovers a supernatural door, she must team up with a boy named Souta to prevent ruin from befalling Japan. In the abandoned places of Japan, these doors appear, and if they aren't closed, a giant creature from folk lore will arrive and cause massive earthquakes, resulting in untold devastation.
Stream Suzume
What are critics saying?
91
IndieWire by Steph Green
It is a spiritual journey through the very fabric of a land, anatomizing how we navigate nostalgia for home and grief for lost loved ones when both have been long-destroyed by the senseless strike of an invisible force.
90
Film Threat by Josiah Teal
Thematically and artistically, Suzume is a gem. I was in awe of its animation and often found myself on both watches just looking at the vast backgrounds of each scene or relishing in the story’s emotional beats.
90
New York Magazine (Vulture) by Alison Willmore
Suzume may be a less effective romance than something like Your Name — it’s tough when half of your main pairing is a piece of furniture — but that’s because its real love story is with the stuff of everyday life, making it almost unbearably inviting and worth fighting for.
90
IGN by Kenneth Seward Jr.
Suzume is a captivating film that depicts the grieving process in a creative and thoughtful manner. It features a strong cast, a moving score, and some truly amazing animation.
90
The Hollywood Reporter by Leslie Felperin
Shinkai never skimps on the human level. Suzume, who at first seems like just another standard-issue anime ingenue, grows and becomes more interesting throughout.
88
LarsenOnFilm by Josh Larsen
Shinkai’s recent films have all been wildly ambitious in terms of their imagination and scope; Suzume might be the most impressive in terms of connecting that to a powerful emotional core.
80
Empire by Jake Cunningham
Visually striking and emotionally poignant, Suzume manages to combine hilarity and heartache, in its heightened, therapeutic, if slightly unwieldy, narrative.
80
Variety by Peter Debruge
Come for Shinkai’s skies, stay for the feels.
80
Screen Daily by Jonathan Romney
Suzume is hardly a film for all tastes, but is certain to thrill anime buffs across all ages and continents.
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