(Photo by Dimension Films/courtesy Everett Collection)
All Hayao Miyazaki Movies Ranked
Beyond the awards, beyond the box office, how do you know the films of Hayao Miyazaki are beloved and universal the world over? Scroll through his filmography on Rotten Tomatoes and you’ll find nary a Rotten rating. In fact, there isn’t even anything below 80%! It’s a sign of how far-reaching and influential his works are, made alongside his band of mad, merry animators at Studio Ghibli, whose tales of empathy, kindness, and bravery touch far beyond the borders of Japan.
Though Miyazaki is synonymous with Studio Ghibli, here we’re focusing only on his efforts as a feature film director, which started in earnest even before Ghibli was formed. 1979’s Castle of Cagliostro was a calling card that a talent had broken through the ranks of TV (where he had worked for two decades as an animator), adapting the long-running Lupin the 3rd charater into a rousing, action-packed heist adventure. By the time Miyazaki’s next feature came out, 1984’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Studio Ghibli was up and running to deliver everything the film required, elements that would become Miyazaki’s trademarks: a female-centric story, fleets of airborne transportation, plenty of lush flora and cute fauna, and an ecological bent exploring man’s frequently destructive relationship with nature.
What followed was a veritable hit parade of classics: Castle in the Sky, the closest Miyazaki ever got to working in Spielberg mode; Kiki’s Delivery Service, a sweet and charming coming-of-age witch story; Porco Rosso, a deeply romantic tale of cursed pigs and dogfights over the Adriatic; and Princess Mononoke, the violent action epic of the war between the natural world and human technological progress. It all reached its arguable cultural zenith with Spirited Away, the Alice in Wonderland-esque tale of a young girl lost in a world of spirits, which won the Best Animated Feature Oscar and topped our list of 140 Essential Animated Movies ever.
Miyazaki has spent the last two decades oscillating between retirement and returning to Studio Ghibli every time the pull of delivering another animated masterpiece became too strong (it’s appreciated!), giving the world the likes of Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo, and The Wind Rises. He’s currently back in not-retired mode, working since 2016 on The Boy and the Heron, an adaptation of the 1937 children’s novel How Do You Live?. Now, we rank all of his movies by Tomatometer! —Alex Vo
#1
Adjusted Score: 101601%
Critics Consensus: Kiki's Delivery Service is a heartwarming, gorgeously-rendered tale of a young witch discovering her place in the world.
Synopsis: In this anime feature, 13-year-old Kiki moves to a seaside town with her talking cat, Jiji, to spend a year...
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#2
Adjusted Score: 104260%
Critics Consensus: Spirited Away is a dazzling, enchanting, and gorgeously drawn fairy tale that will leave viewers a little more curious and fascinated by the world around them.
Synopsis: 10-year-old Chihiro (Daveigh Chase) moves with her parents to a new home in the Japanese countryside. After taking a wrong...
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#3
Adjusted Score: 112010%
Critics Consensus: Soulfully exploring thought-provoking themes through a beautifully animated lens, The Boy and the Heron is another Miyazaki masterpiece.
Synopsis: From the legendary Studio Ghibli and Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) comes a new critically-acclaimed fantasy adventure. After...
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#4
Adjusted Score: 99235%
Critics Consensus: My Neighbor Totoro is a heartwarming, sentimental masterpiece that captures the simple grace of childhood.
Synopsis: This acclaimed animated tale by director Hayao Miyazaki follows schoolgirl Satsuke and her younger sister, Mei, as they settle into...
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#5
Adjusted Score: 101017%
Critics Consensus: With its epic story and breathtaking visuals, Princess Mononoke is a landmark in the world of animation.
Synopsis: A prince becomes involved in the struggle between a forest princess and the encroachment of mechanization....
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#6
Adjusted Score: 97821%
Critics Consensus: While not Miyazaki's best film, Ponyo is a visually stunning fairy tale that's a sweetly poetic treat for children of all ages.
Synopsis: During a forbidden excursion to see the surface world, a goldfish princess encounters a human boy named Sosuke, who gives...
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#7
Adjusted Score: 96303%
Critics Consensus: The Wind Rises is a fittingly bittersweet swan song for director Hayao Miyazaki.
Synopsis: A lifelong love of flight inspires Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi, whose storied career includes the creation of the A-6M...
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#8
Adjusted Score: 94020%
Critics Consensus: Exquisitely illustrated by master animator Miyazaki, Howl's Moving Castle will delight children with its fantastical story and touch the hearts and minds of older viewers as well.
Synopsis: Sophie (Emily Mortimer) has an uneventful life at her late father's hat shop, but all that changes when she befriends...
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#9
Adjusted Score: 98162%
Critics Consensus: With a storytelling palette as rich and brilliant as its animation, Castle in the Sky thrillingly encapsulates Studio Ghibli's unique strengths.
Synopsis: Young orphan Sheeta and her kidnapper, Col. Muska, are flying to a military prison when their plane is attacked by...
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#10
Adjusted Score: 97575%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In this animated feature, Arsene Lupin III, the world's most daring thief, pulls off a heist at a Monte Carlo...
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#11
Adjusted Score: 97283%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In this entrancing tale by renowned Japanese animator Hiyao Miyazaki, World War I flying ace Marco Pagott mysteriously turns from...
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#12
Adjusted Score: 92254%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Far in the future, after an apocalyptic conflict has devastated much of the world's ecosystem, the few surviving humans live...
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98%
96%
