What do you want to watch tonight?
Each title says who it's good for, and who it isn't. Tap what you want tonight, or say no to one and why.
Closest to Mirai first
Inside Out 2015
Film
When 11-year-old Riley moves to a new city, her Emotions team up to help her through the transition. Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness work together, but when Joy and Sadness get lost, they must journey through unfamiliar places to get back home.
The sides of Inside Out
- Emotions running a girl's head
- Sadness finding her place
- A lost imaginary friend
Good for you if
- you like a family film that makes the adults cry.
- you like clever jokes about how our minds work.
- you like a world built out of memories and dreams.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you can't watch a girl slowly overtaken by sadness after a move. It hits too close.
About: sadness · memory · growing up · family
Spirited Away 2001
Anime
On the way to their new house, a ten-year-old girl and her parents wander into the world of spirits. Her parents are turned into pigs, and she has to work in a bathhouse to save them.
The sides of Spirited Away
- A strange world with its own rules
- A child finding her courage
- Quiet moments and nature
- Every frame drawn by hand
Good for you if
- you love getting lost in a world with its own strange rules.
- you like not knowing what will walk through the door next.
- you like films that stop to breathe, like that quiet train ride.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you want everything explained. A lot of the bathhouse never is.
About: growing up · greed · keeping your name · work
The Polar Express 2004
Film
When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.
The sides of The Polar Express
- A boy who has stopped believing in Santa
- A train that leaves at midnight
- A bell from a reindeer's harness
Good for you if
- you want a night train crossing the ice to the North Pole.
- you want something to put on with children in December.
- you like hot chocolate, snow and a warm ending.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- a film built on learning to believe makes you roll your eyes.
About: belief · childhood · christmas
Wolf Children 2012
Anime
After her werewolf lover unexpectedly dies in an accident, a woman must find a way to raise the son and daughter that she had with him. However, their inheritance of their father's traits prove to be a challenge for her.
The sides of Wolf Children
- A young widow raising two wolf children
- A move to an old farmhouse in the mountains
- A brother and sister choosing different lives
Good for you if
- you like a mother doing everything for her kids.
- you like being moved by children growing up and leaving.
- you want snowy forests and a farm in the countryside.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you need things to happen fast. This one follows years of daily life.
About: motherhood · growing up · letting go
My Neighbor Totoro 1988
Anime
Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.
The sides of My Neighbor Totoro
- Two sisters in a country house
- A giant forest spirit
- A cat that is a bus
Good for you if
- you want a gentle film with no villain at all.
- you like the magic children see in nature.
- you like rice fields, rain and forests.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you need momentum. Long scenes follow the girls exploring the house and waiting for a bus in the rain.
About: childhood · nature · family
Coco 2017
Film
Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.
The sides of Coco
- A boy who wants to play music
- A trip to the land of the dead
- A song for a great-grandmother
Good for you if
- you like a family film with an ending that floors you.
- you like songs that carry the story.
- you want a world glowing with orange flowers and colour.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- a story of dead relatives and a fading great-grandmother is too much for you tonight.
About: family · memory · death · music
Over the Garden Wall 2014
Series
Two brothers, Wirt and Greg, find themselves lost in the Unknown; a strange forest adrift in time. With the help of a wise old Woodsman and a foul-tempered bluebird named Beatrice, Wirt and Greg must travel across this strange land, in hope of finding their way home. Join them as they encounter surprises and obstacles on their journey through the wood.
The sides of Over the Garden Wall
- Two brothers lost in a strange forest
- A woodsman and a grumpy bluebird
- A beast lurking in the woods
Good for you if
- you like an autumn fairy tale that feels like an old storybook.
- you like old-time songs sung along the way.
- you like painted forests that look like vintage illustrations.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated series.
- you want fights and chases. Wirt and Greg mostly talk, sing and get lost.
About: brotherhood · finding your way home · growing up
The Boy and the Beast 2015
Anime
Kyuta, a boy living in Shibuya, and Kumatetsu, a lonesome beast from Jutengai, an imaginary world. One day, Kyuta forays into the imaginary world and, as he's looking for his way back, meets Kumatetsu who becomes his spirit guide. That encounter leads them to many adventures.
The sides of The Boy and the Beast
- A runaway boy alone in Shibuya
- A beast who takes him on as a pupil
- A city of beasts with its own succession fight
Good for you if
- you like a father figure who is worse at living than the child he raises.
- you like a beast city you reach through a Shibuya back alley.
- you like watching a boy grow up in two worlds at once.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you won't read subtitles for two hours.
About: fatherhood · growing up · anger
The Boy and the Heron 2023
Anime
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."
The sides of The Boy and the Heron
- A boy who lost his mother in the war
- A talking gray heron
- A tower that leads to another world
Good for you if
- you like a world of parakeets, pelicans and a stone tower.
- you love Miyazaki's hand-drawn worlds.
- you like a boy learning to accept a new mother.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you want a story where every symbol is explained.
About: grief · family · growing up
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya 2013
Anime
Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthrals all who encounter her. But, ultimately, she must confront her fate.
The sides of The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
- A tiny girl found inside a bamboo stalk
- Suitors sent on impossible tasks
- Drawings that look like charcoal and watercolor
Good for you if
- you like images that look sketched by hand, lines left visible.
- you like being moved by a girl who just wants her childhood back.
- you like a folk tale told at its own pace.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- over two hours of an old folk tale is too much for you.
About: freedom · family · fate
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba 2019
Anime
After a demon attack leaves his family slain and his sister cursed, Tanjiro embarks upon a perilous journey to find a cure and avenge those he's lost.
The sides of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
- A boy whose family is killed by a demon
- A sister turned into a demon
- Sword fights with breathing techniques
Good for you if
- you like sword fights that light up the screen.
- you like a brother who will do anything to save his sister.
- you cry when a demon's human past is finally told.
Bad for you if
- you can't stand demons tearing people apart.
- you don't watch anime.
About: grief · family · revenge
Mary and The Witch's Flower 2017
Anime
Mary Smith, a young girl who lives with her great-aunt in the countryside, follows a mysterious cat into the nearby forest where she finds a strange flower and an old broom, none of which is as ordinary as it seems.
The sides of Mary and The Witch's Flower
- A girl who follows a cat into the woods
- A flower that gives magic for one night
- A school of witchcraft above the clouds
Good for you if
- you like a broom ride into a world you didn't know was there.
- you like a school of witchcraft with its own rules and its own laboratory.
- you want magic a child can follow with you.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you won't read subtitles for a Japanese film.
About: courage · magic · growing up
How to Train Your Dragon 2 2014
Film
Five years after uniting the dragons and Vikings of Berk, Hiccup and Toothless soar beyond their homeland, charting the vast unknown. During one of their adventures, the pair discover a secret cave that houses hundreds of wild dragons—and a mysterious dragon rider with a startling connection to Hiccup. And as the ruthless conqueror Drago Bludvist rises to seize control of both dragons and people alike, Hiccup must step into his role as a true leader and, alongside his friends and Toothless, protect Berk from a devastating war.
The sides of How to Train Your Dragon 2
- Hiccup finds his mother
- A sanctuary full of dragons
- A great alpha dragon
Good for you if
- you like even bigger flying scenes.
- you like a dragon film for kids that isn't afraid to make adults cry.
- you like dragon battles on ice.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you roll your eyes at a mother and son reunited with big heartfelt talks.
About: family · leadership · loss
Coraline 2009
Film
Wandering her rambling old house in her boring new town, 11-year-old Coraline discovers a hidden door to a strangely idealized version of her life. In order to stay in the fantasy, she must make a frighteningly real sacrifice.
The sides of Coraline
- A girl who finds a door to a better home
- An Other Mother with button eyes
- Stop-motion that creeps up on you
Good for you if
- you like dark, strange fairy tales.
- you like handmade stop-motion worlds.
- you like a family film that's actually creepy.
Bad for you if
- button eyes may scare young children.
- you don't watch animated films.
About: home · parents · courage
Your Name. 2016
Anime
High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki’s body, and he in hers. This bizarre occurrence continues to happen randomly, and the two must adjust their lives around each other.
The sides of Your Name.
- A boy and a girl who swap bodies in their sleep
- Tokyo and a mountain town
- A comet in the sky
Good for you if
- you like a film carried by RADWIMPS songs.
- you like two people searching for someone they've never met.
- you like skies and light painted with breathtaking detail.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you won't read subtitles. It's in Japanese (a dub exists).
About: connection · memory · fate
Arrietty 2010
Anime
14-year-old Arrietty and the rest of the Clock family live in peaceful anonymity as they make their own home from items "borrowed" from the house's human inhabitants. However, life changes for the Clocks when a human boy discovers Arrietty.
The sides of Arrietty
- A family of tiny people under the floorboards
- Borrowing a sugar cube at night
- A sick boy who sees them
Good for you if
- you like a quiet film set in a garden and an old house.
- you want something gentle to watch with children.
- you like a kitchen seen from the size of a mouse.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you need momentum. A whole sequence follows Arrietty on her careful first trip to borrow a sugar cube.
About: friendship · belonging · fragility
Encanto 2021
Film
The tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family—every child except one, Mirabel. But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might just be her exceptional family's last hope.
The sides of Encanto
- A family where everyone has a gift but her
- A magic house that's cracking
- We don't talk about Bruno
Good for you if
- you like songs the whole family will sing.
- you like a story about family pressure and love.
- you want something colourful and warm.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you lose track in big families. The Madrigals are a dozen, each with a gift.
About: family · expectations · belonging
Arcane 2021
Series
Amid the stark discord of twin cities Piltover and Zaun, two sisters fight on rival sides of a war between magic technologies and clashing convictions.
The sides of Arcane
- Two sisters on opposite sides of a war
- A rich city above and a poor city below
- Magic powered by crystals
Good for you if
- you like animation that looks like moving paintings.
- you like Vi and Jinx, sisters who love each other and can't stop fighting.
- you like fights cut to songs written for the show.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated series.
- you need some hope, and the bond between the sisters keeps breaking.
About: sisterhood · inequality · grief · progress
Ponyo 2008
Anime
When Sosuke, a young boy who lives on a clifftop overlooking the sea, rescues a stranded goldfish named Ponyo, he discovers more than he bargained for. Ponyo is a curious, energetic young creature who yearns to be human, but even as she causes chaos around the house, her father, a powerful sorcerer, schemes to return Ponyo to the sea.
The sides of Ponyo
- A goldfish who wants to be a little girl
- A boy who lives on a clifftop above the sea
- A storm with waves made of fish
Good for you if
- you want a film a five-year-old will love.
- you like a warm, gentle story with no real villain.
- you like a little girl running on top of the waves.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you need real danger to stay interested.
About: childhood · the sea · love
Grave of the Fireflies 1988
Anime
In the final months of World War II, 14-year-old Seita and his sister Setsuko are orphaned when their mother is killed during an air raid in Kobe, Japan. After a falling out with their aunt, they move into an abandoned bomb shelter. With no surviving relatives and their emergency rations depleted, Seita and Setsuko struggle to survive.
The sides of Grave of the Fireflies
- Two orphaned children in wartime Japan
- An abandoned bomb shelter as a home
- A tin of fruit drops
Good for you if
- you want a film that leaves you crying.
- you want to see the war from the side of Japanese civilians.
- you like a brother trying to keep his little sister alive.
Bad for you if
- you need some hope by the end.
- you can't bear to watch children go hungry.
- you don't watch anime.
About: war · childhood · pride · hunger