All 23 Masterpiece Films
From 1984's visionary Nausicaä to 2023's Oscar-winning The Boy and the Heron. Filter by director, search by theme, and delve into the magic.
The Boy and the Heron
A grieving boy named Mahito moves to the countryside during WWII and enters an otherworldly realm shared by the living and the dead, guided by a peculiar talking Grey Heron.
Earwig and the Witch
Growing up in a British orphanage, mischievous 10-year-old Earwig is adopted by a selfish witch named Bella Yaga and uses her wit and a talking black cat named Thomas to master magic.
When Marnie Was There
Sent to a quiet seaside town in Hokkaido for her asthma, introverted Anna discovers an abandoned marsh mansion and forms a supernatural bond with an ethereal girl named Marnie.
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Found inside a glowing stalk of bamboo, a miniature nymph grows rapidly into an enchanting young princess whose heavenly origin clashes with earthly expectations.
The Wind Rises
A fictionalized biographical chronicle of Jiro Horikoshi, the visionary aeronautical designer of the iconic Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter aircraft, during pre-WWII Japan.
From Up on Poppy Hill
In 1963 Yokohama, high school students Umi and Shun work to save their beloved historic school clubhouse, the Quartier Latin, while untangling their shared postwar heritage.
The Secret World of Arrietty
A 14-year-old tiny Borrower named Arrietty lives discreetly beneath the floorboards with her parents, borrowing small items until she forms a gentle friendship with a human boy.
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea
A five-year-old boy named Sosuke rescues a curious magical goldfish named Brunhilde, who licks human blood and transforms into a human girl named Ponyo, causing ancient ocean currents to rise.
Tales from Earthsea
In a world losing its magical equilibrium, the Archmage Sparrowhawk guides a haunted young prince named Arren and a mysterious girl named Therru to confront the dark sorcerer Cob.
Howl's Moving Castle
When an unconfident young milliner named Sophie is cursed with an old woman's body by a spiteful witch, she flees to the walking mechanical castle of the flamboyant, enigmatic wizard Howl.
The Cat Returns
After rescuing a cat from traffic, high schooler Haru discovers he is Prince Lune of the Cat Kingdom, and she is unexpectedly invited to become his feline bride.
Spirited Away
While moving to a new neighborhood, 10-year-old Chihiro inadvertently enters a mystical realm of kami (spirits). After her parents are turned into pigs, she must work at Yubaba's bathhouse to find a way back home.
My Neighbors the Yamadas
Presented in charming minimalist watercolor vignettes, this film explores the comical everyday struggles, quirks, and tender moments of the contemporary Yamada family.
Princess Mononoke
Afflicted by a deadly boar demon curse, prince Ashitaka journeys westward into a war between ironworkers led by Lady Eboshi and the ferocious wolf goddess Moro with her adopted human daughter San.
Whisper of the Heart
A book-loving middle-school girl discovers that all her favorite library books have been previously checked out by the same mysterious boy, leading her on a creative journey of self-discovery.
Pom Poko
A community of magical raccoon dogs (Tanuki) use their folkloric shapeshifting illusions to disrupt Tokyo's suburban construction encroaching on their natural habitat.
Ocean Waves
During a college break in Tokyo, Taku Morisaki sees a familiar woman on the train platform and reminisces about his high school senior year in Kōchi when Tokyo transfer student Rikako Muto entered his life.
Porco Rosso
In 1930s Italy, a cynical World War I flying ace turned bounty hunter who is cursed with the face of a pig battles sky pirates and fascist regimes in his signature crimson seaplane.
Only Yesterday
Taeko, an unmarried Tokyo office worker, takes a vacation to harvest safflowers in rural Yamagata and finds herself reflecting on her 10-year-old school days.
Kiki's Delivery Service
A 13-year-old trainee witch named Kiki moves to a picturesque seaside town with her sarcastic black cat Jiji to spend a mandatory year of independent living running an air-courier business.
My Neighbor Totoro
Two young sisters, Satsuki and Mei, move with their father to the countryside to be closer to their hospitalized mother and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by magical forest spirits called Totoro.
Grave of the Fireflies
In the final months of World War II, teenage Seita and his four-year-old sister Setsuko struggle to survive alone in the aftermath of the Kobe bombings.
Laputa: Castle in the Sky
Young orphan Pazu catches a girl descending from the sky wearing a glowing levitation crystal. Together they race air pirates and military agents to reach the legendary lost floating island of Laputa.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
In a post-apocalyptic future where the Toxic Jungle spreads across the Earth, princess Nausicaä communicates with colossal Ohmu insects to stop human factions from destroying the world anew.