Photo: Patti Perret / Orion Pictures
I watched Spirited Away a few weeks ago for the first time in years, and it was just such a stunning encapsulation of how good Studio Ghibli is at building magical but meaningful worlds.
When you first enter the film, you’re lost inside this bewilderingly strange new universe, much like its main character. But quickly, the logic to it all falls into place, and the bathhouse that the film centers around ends up feeling specific and small.
The moment that stood out most to me was when you learn that a sludge-covered spirit isn’t just some weirdo villain with trash coming out of its body, but is meant to represent a polluted river in need of help. It sounds ridiculous typed out like that, but in the context of the film, it starts to show…