Grave of the Fireflies

Grave of the Fireflies

1988
Drama, War
1h 29m
A tragic film covering a young boy and his little sister's struggle to survive in Japan during World War II.
Your probable score
?

Grave of the Fireflies

1988
Drama, War
1h 29m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 75.37% from 5248 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(5248)
Compact view
Compact view
Rated 31 Jan 2021
100
97th
Bring your popcorn and Prozac.
Rated 18 Aug 2017
87
96th
As someone who loves talking movies with people, this film has the unfortunate distinction of being the subject of one of the longest film discussions I've ever had. Unfortunate because it was with a librarian and it was me endlessly trying to explain why this does not belong wedged in-between Gnomeo & Juliet and Gumby: The Movie in the kid's section.
Rated 12 Sep 2008
99
99th
Grave of the Fireflies is NOT a film for children... not only. I think it's one of the best anti-war films ever made. After watching that Movie the only thing you can do is switch off the TV, go to bed, wipe away your tears and try to sleep. That was my experience with that movie. And I'm not really emotional. There is no light at the end of the tunnel...in this world or anywhere else..sad but true
Rated 10 Sep 2008
96
96th
If you don't cry while watching this movie, you're probably comatose. Or dead. Or a spawn of the Dark One himself. Beautifully done, sometimes painfully understated for a kind of emphasis that would not be achieved in blatant terms.
Rated 11 Oct 2008
96
99th
Awesome yet disturbing movie, it leaves you speechless about the world's cruelty. An astonishing movie, definitely not recommended for children! Maybe that's aWestern thing because animation is often considered to be only for children. This defintitely is not. I never saw the movie again although we have it on DVD. However, its pictures are still on my mind and it's a couple of years ago. Highly recommended.
Rated 04 Aug 2008
100
98th
One of the most shocking WWII films ever made! Absolutely heart-breaking! A high point for Anime and Animation both!
Rated 01 Aug 2009
96
99th
If this doesn't make you weep like a fat kid who's had his doughnut stolen nothing will! Utterly beautiful, brilliantly paced and emotionally draining to a degree very few films, (live action or animated alike), ever reach. I'm not one to get emotional at movies, but the ending is just devastating.
Rated 23 Dec 2009
60
15th
if this made you cry you are gay
Rated 06 Apr 2008
95
99th
Perhaps the most heartbreaking animation film ever created. A profound anti-war tale that will haunt you from the first image to the last. Why do fireflies die so young...
Rated 12 Dec 2006
95
99th
The most depressing animated movie ever. This story of a young Japanese boy surviving in Japan during WW2 is incredibly moving as you sense the conflict of a young boy who is still firmly a child and the reality that he must grow up if he wants to survive.
Rated 22 May 2007
94
97th
An amazing WWII film that truly wrenches at the heart strings and provides a good counterpoint to the war, which has mostly been portrayed from the Allies' side in motion pictures. Quite possibly the most genuinely sad film I've ever seen--no manipulative tactics here, only the stark reality of war and the casualties it reaps.
Rated 25 Jun 2012
98
99th
Everyone should see this movie even if they hate animated films. This masterpiece makes me cry every time I watch it. Believable, tragic and yet still I find it heartwarming.
Rated 10 Jul 2013
81
84th
Made me want to crawl into a corner and stop existing. More than usual, that is.
Rated 13 Jan 2007
80
84th
This movie makes me want to kill myself
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
73rd
This is the kind of movie that I like a lot and respect a lot, but about which I don't have a lot to say. Death is tragic and life is tragic, and sometimes it all just plain sucks. And yet Grave of the Fireflies -- as tragic as it is -- left me with a certain sense of closure, in a "maybe-it-was-all-for-the-best" kind of way. The sense was probably false, but it was there.
Rated 19 Feb 2008
100
98th
Anyone who thinks animated films are for kids should sit through this and then re-submit their beliefs afterwards. It's unfathomable how they could adhere to their previous claim. This is one of the most haunting, devastating, and memorable films you will ever see. Few Americans think about what post-WWII Japan must have been like, and the hell that this film conveys is accurate and heartbreaking. The characters are real and deep, and the story tight. Flawless.
Rated 31 Dec 2008
95
93rd
If you don't cry, or at least get really, really freaking depressed, then you have no soul.
Rated 27 May 2011
95
96th
Good lord this is a crushing emotional experience.
Rated 16 Aug 2008
100
97th
The most shocking and depressing WW2 story ever told on film.
Rated 12 May 2009
87
82nd
One of the most heart wrenching and touching stories I have ever seen. A must see for any and all.
Rated 01 Oct 2010
98
99th
This is an adult Japanese animated movie that explores how war effects the most vulnerable and innocent people in the most horrific ways. This is one of the saddest and most haunting movies I have ever seen.It's unflinching deception of two young lives ravaged and then ultimately destroyed by war's brutality left me in tears and emotionally drained This is a masterpiece in film making and one of the greatest movies I have seen.Two Thumbs Very Enthusiastically Up !
Rated 05 Dec 2012
92
99th
It will ruin your week but it's worth watching anyway.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
97th
Probably the saddest animated feature ever made, this lyrical war drama focuses on the humane rather than the political. It deals with the unwitting, indirect victims of war: two children who are left homeless and thrown into a struggle for survival.
Rated 29 Jan 2008
100
99th
I can't imagine any way this could have worked with live actors. Anime does have its place.
Rated 15 Aug 2008
90
88th
My wife won't even let me mention this movie, it made her so sad. It's a truly heartbreaking film about WW2 and I'd dare say it's essential viewing. Many people, Americans especially, don't think about how the people of Japan suffered during or after the war.
Rated 05 Jun 2009
93
98th
Easily the saddest film I've ever seen, I sobbed endlessly.
Rated 29 Aug 2009
92
78th
Does Grave of the Fireflies inspire tears? Yes. Simply put, it is a sad movie. This tale of two orphaned kids in WWII Japan will make you question war motives, repercussions, and our respective governments. The exploitations of cut-throat, wartime practices are enough to encourage other emotions like anger, hatred, and shame. The life and energy captured by the animation creates a surreal and eerie environment that will leave an impression on you. If anything it will make you think.
Rated 24 May 2010
4
51st
Certainly doesn't live up to its reputation as The Saddest Film of All Time because it's so manipulative and predictable.
Rated 27 Feb 2012
87
98th
Quite a lot of people have interpreted this as an anti-war film, which I disagree with. The film does show the atrocities and tragic effects war has on society, but I found it to be more of a meditation on relationships in times of crisis. It has to be mentioned: this film is heartbreaking. I'm writing this ten minutes after the credits and I'm still fighting back tears. "Grave of the Fireflies" is beautifully animated, not to mention haunting, and is an essential, albeit difficult, watch.
Rated 05 Mar 2013
92
96th
Harrowing. Haunting. Excellent.
Rated 04 Jun 2013
74
32nd
Most of the movie was pretty okay. A cute, sad story of a dumb kid and his dumb sister and the cartoonishly villainous people who lead them towards their doom. Then the climax happens - the bit where IF YOU DON'T CRY YOU'RE A MONSTER - and I felt nothing. Mainly because the movie spends too long trying to shove the fact it's sad in your face like CRY dammit CRY THIS KID JUST DIED AND NOW THERE'S A HUGE SAPPY MONTAGE OF HER BEING ADORABLE SO YOU HAD BETTER BE CRYING and it was utterly terrible.
Rated 01 Oct 2013
86
69th
Carpetgiant's five easy steps to watching "Grave of the Fireflies". Step one: Make sure house is covered for flood damage. Step two: Start movie. Step three: Lie down. Step four: Watch movie through endless streams of tears. Step five: Adjust lifestyle to accommodate unending crying.
Rated 14 Jun 2007
100
98th
Perhaps the most heartbreaking animated drama ever.
Rated 06 Aug 2007
71
21st
I love Studio Ghibli films, and everyone else seems to love this one, but somehow it just did nothing at all for me. Where are my floods of tears, dammit!?
Rated 14 Aug 2007
88
76th
Please watch this with somebody else. One of the most touching and powerful pieces of animation I've ever seen.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
89th
The most shocking WW2 movie ever, this film will take your heart and make you feel what the lead characters fealt. Brilliant. And the best of all: it's honest, not a single frame of emotion manipulation.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
91
98th
One of the most heartfelt movies that I've ever seen. Also (and this may be a BIG negative for some) it's one of the most depressing. That pretty much tells you what goes on. I think the reason that I loved this so much, and don't get as into movies like the Pianist is because of the exposure. There have been many war stories, but you don't see many like this. Plus, it's Ghibli, you know it's quality.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
41
38th
Okay. You both die. I don't care.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
4
74th
Need to rewatch, but my recollection is that it's great.
Rated 15 Aug 2007
93
95th
Quite possibly the most painful movie watching experience of my life. Extremely powerful film, and well-worth a watch. Do not be turned off by the fact it is animated, it'll still touch you in the most profound way.
Rated 05 Apr 2008
8
78th
Too sad for words...
Rated 26 Jul 2008
95
97th
Very sad, touching, well animated film. It grabs onto you and won't let go.
Rated 29 Sep 2008
90
94th
Be warned. There's the sad.... and then there's the emotionally devastating.
Rated 13 Feb 2009
4
96th
Great film to pop in and have some friends over!
Rated 16 Apr 2009
80
89th
I wasn't a huge fan of it initially but it has grown on me over time.
Rated 23 Aug 2010
8
80th
Gut wrenching and superbly made though I must admit, I was expecting more of an emotional impact even despite how sad the story is.
Rated 23 Sep 2010
85
88th
I dare you! Nay! Double dare you: Show this to your kids under the pretext that it's a Disney movie! A thoroughly grim account of how the Japanese suffered during World War II, watched together with the companion piece 'Barefoot Gen' it'll be a pleasant afternoon for the whole family.
Rated 24 Mar 2011
95
97th
Beautiful and heartbreaking. Everyone should see this at least once in their lives.
Rated 01 Apr 2011
86
89th
I watched this movie, expecting to cry. Unfortunately I didn't, but I was really touched. During the movie I was moved, but it was afterwards it really hit me how sad it actually was.
Rated 10 Apr 2011
80
88th
A no hope and heartbreaking film... It's a brave movie and once again it proves that if you do it right, animation can be the right way to portray real life struggle, cause then you can still distance yourself from the horror as it were also the case with e.g. Waltzing With Bashir. Animation isn't as in your face as real film, but it can definately be as effectfull!
Rated 10 Jul 2011
97
91st
Superb. Among my top 5 films of all time, animated or no. This heart-wrenching tragedy is so palpable, it is sure to evoke tears in even the toughest souls. The music is so full of passion and sadness, a perfect match for the film. A great commentary on war and it's ugly ramifications, as well as a touching personal glimpse into the true story of a family that was torn to bits by WWII. I can't say enough good about this.
Rated 08 Jan 2012
99
97th
I have yet to come across a film that has made me this sad. It is perfect and heartbreaking in every way possible.
Rated 12 Mar 2012
96
90th
A Studio Gibli film that is certainly not for younger viewers. Grave of Fireflies is certainly one of the most heartwrenching movies I have seen and one of the saddest for sure, but it's got a really good story and some great animation. I'm not really sure what else to say about it... It's good but dang...
Rated 06 Apr 2012
95
92nd
I think the most accurate immediate description of Grave of the Fireflies is that it is an honest, emotionally devastating sledgehammer to the stomach. I've been affected by animated films and shows but it's usually paired with either a sense of humour or adventure to lighten the mood. Not so, here.
Rated 09 Jul 2014
80
71st
Genel olarak iyi ve "izlenir" bir anime. Fakat filmin genelinde hakim olan duygu somurusu durumu, kucuk Setsuko'nun olumunden sonra ayyuka cikiyor. Bu noktadan sonra Setsuko'nun acikli muzik esliginde geriye donuslerle yansitilan "e hadi artik aglamayan kalmasin" amacina yonelik sahneleri ve filmin senaryosunun bence zayif olusu, puanimi 9'dan 8'e dusurdu.
Rated 30 Jun 2019
65
53rd
The final dilemma being on nobody but the protagonists is why I had a tough time feeling sorry for anything that followed. And showing a little kid wither and die is about the laziest way to evoke emotion from an audience, no matter what you want to say. Gee, why not drown a box of puppies in slow motion, just to make sure your point came across? If you make me weep like a bitch for a giant nazi-tarantula, that's when you can call yourself a storyteller!
Rated 24 Jan 2007
85
84th
Beautiful and touching, but somewhat manipulative.
Rated 24 Feb 2007
54
17th
This movie is overrated beyond belief. Just because it looks pretty everyone says they love it. Well let me tell you this movie is depressing as hell. And the ending sucks, too.
Rated 01 Mar 2007
91
96th
I don't care if you like anime or not, this movie will make you cry.
Rated 21 Apr 2007
85
73rd
I watched the English dubbed version so Setsuo's voice was terribly annoying, but the movie was so excellent that it really didn't take away from it. For an animated movie this holds the drama and class that most war movies don't even come close to capturing.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
97
99th
One of the most shocking movies I've seen, and not in a gross-out way or over-the-top way, but in an emotional way.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
97
91st
Touching, though be aware of anti-war sentiments. As a film about lonliness and emotions alone, it's a beautifully animated film.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
93rd
One of the hottest animated movie. Came to me with Miyazaki films and topped them all. Except, maybe, for Chihiro. I cried everytimes Setsuko did. So sad, so nice.
Rated 24 Aug 2007
99
99th
If you don't like this movie, you're wrong. Simple as that.
Rated 22 Jan 2008
85
94th
Highly effective melodrama. Uncomfortable viewing if you let it get to you.
Rated 06 May 2008
50
3rd
This might be a great movie ... if you want to kill yourself. This movie is great in the way that it made me so depressed. The opening line is the main character telling you that today is the day he dies. The entire story is of how miserable his journey was. How the happy family life he had evaporated with the war. How his pride helped cause the death of his younger sister and him.
Rated 04 Jul 2008
91
98th
Very Great
Rated 17 Jul 2008
80
64th
18 Temmuz 08, 00:45am. & savasin boktanligi uzerine, carpici bir anime.kucuk kiz aglarken cocugun bak ne hareketler yapiyorum deyip birseyler yapmaya baslamasi bogazi dugumluyor. 4-5 yaslarinda kizkardesi olanlar izlemesin.
Rated 28 Apr 2009
3
74th
Devastating.
Rated 02 Jun 2009
4
70th
It takes a while to really work, but once its emotional center takes hold it becomes a captivating and engrossing experience. It's certainly manipulative more than a little of the time, but it's effective enough to override this concern, and goes about its story with a grace and dignity that makes its tragedy that much more affecting. A very impressive work.
Rated 15 Jun 2009
85
97th
A rollercoaster of emotions. The second half was truly beautiful, the relationship between the siblings and the cruelties of society in times of need is heartwrenching. Everything seen through the eyes of the young, not knowing of the complexities of life, but manage to do their best, in this sense, it sort of reminds me of Nobody Knows.
Rated 20 Aug 2009
88
94th
I cried so hard, like a little kid. Truly touching movie.
Rated 05 Oct 2009
100
99th
I'm a sucker for tearjerkers, and this is the proverbial motherlode.
Rated 14 Dec 2009
90
99th
THE tragedy movie.
Rated 20 Mar 2010
90
89th
This is quite possibly the saddest film i've ever seen. Its the kind of movie you struggle to watch again once you've seen it, despite how powerful and well done it is.
Rated 07 Apr 2010
83
82nd
It starts with the Tokyo firebombing raids. Then it somehow gets sadder.
Rated 08 Apr 2010
100
98th
Tragic... And gorgeous... There is nothing that can be said about this film that hasn't already been said a million times over. Even for those who don't enjoy Japanese animation, I would consider this film a must-see. Brilliant.
Rated 24 Aug 2010
96
88th
The start of the film essentially tells you how everything's going to end up, but you find yourself really hoping it isn't true. It's tragic, and emotionally devastating, and everything's more effective by the realistic actions of the characters (especially Setsuko). It really is probably the best movie to show people who are against anime by sheer principle.
Rated 09 Jan 2011
80
89th
Ohhhhhhhhh good lord. ;_______; A great, great movie that I never ever want to watch again.
Rated 20 Jan 2011
95
93rd
An unforgettable movie that more people should see. It's a shame that a lot of people think that animation is just for kids. This seems to be mainly an American problem though, because it is evident that Japan takes their animated movies much more seriously. This is one of the strongest war movies ever made and should be experienced by all.
Rated 25 Feb 2011
100
99th
One of the best films of all time.
Rated 05 Apr 2011
89
84th
A great film, very very moving and terribly sad (and that's giving nothing away) - but unlike films like Schindler's List it's a film I feel I'll only ever want to watch once, simply because it was so sad.
Rated 09 Jun 2011
83
82nd
An extremely moving and harrowing tale of a family's lives destroyed by war. Beautiful animation and story telling in this great anti-war film.
Rated 16 Jun 2011
59
61st
This didn't affect me at all. Never being loved has its perks.
Rated 08 Jul 2011
67
31st
This movie made me feel nothing. I'm not a cold-hearted person, but I wasn't sad or moved or touched or anything like so many others seem to have been. All I could notice was how the movie was TELLING ME I needed to feel sad, and it's hard for me to feel genuine emotion when the movie is so clearly manipulative. And maybe I've been spoiled by the gorgeous Miyazaki films, but I didn't even find the animation especially nice. Given this film's reputation, this was quite a disappointment.
Rated 09 Oct 2011
88
88th
Will reduce you to a quivering, sniveling mass of dopey melancholy...in a good way.
Rated 19 Nov 2011
87
95th
It's a fine movie, I mean, as long as you don't mind not smiling for a week or two afterwards.
Rated 06 May 2012
80
74th
I have pretty leathery skin, so I felt rather uneffected by the tragedy of this movie. Don't get me wrong, it's sad, it's good, but I can't help but be bothered most about the fact that the evil aunt survived until the end.
Rated 16 Jul 2012
84
84th
Why do fireflies die so soon? This movie is so damn sad.
Rated 18 Sep 2012
95
95th
"it's like the biggest onion you'll ever peel ever"
Rated 11 Dec 2012
85
74th
Beautiful, but the saddest film I've ever seen.
Rated 21 Jan 2013
93
88th
An incredibly powerful war film.
Rated 29 Aug 2013
85
76th
Careful. If you have a heart, this movie will tear it out of you and then put it through a meat grinder.
Rated 14 Sep 2013
92
96th
Not content to be a simple indictment of war, this is a crushing and powerful treatment of wounded national pride that manages to avoid jingoism. A deeply personal story about hubris and the failure of human conscience, body and spirit, one that frankly discusses death while singing at each moment with life. (I would recommend watching the subtitled version, as the English dub contains a few bad performances which sap the pathos out of some scenes.)
Rated 23 Nov 2013
1
12th
Too manipulative and stupid for me
Rated 29 Jan 2014
8
93rd
This deeply tragic tale of the struggle to survive is certainly one of Ghibli's best films - but also one of the last I'll choose to watch at any given moment (ala Schindler's List, The Pianist, 12 Years a Slave, etc.) Outside of love of one's sibling, there's isn't much of a humanist core to it - it's bleak and frustrating and nihilistic the whole way through. But I imagine that life in this place and time probably was a lot like that. The emotional impact is gutting.
Rated 27 Apr 2014
83
86th
Shocking. Words cannot really describe the feelings. This is the only war film you ever need to see.
Rated 09 Aug 2015
91
99th
I can't see how this story could possibly have been told better (or more subtle) than this. The carefully nuanced movements of Setsuko were especially devasting.
Rated 22 Nov 2015
85
83rd
One of the rare films with a plot line that goes beyond the 'man falls into a hole, man finds a way out of the hole'. This one is more like 'man falls into a hole, the hole gets endlessly deeper'. There's brief scenes of respite during this tailspin to the end of the character's stories, but these scenes really are glints of distraction, that seems to be a symptom of being human, rather than any form of catalyst for salvation.
Rated 03 Jul 2016
90
92nd
A great film for some perspective, also if you want to spend the rest of the night in a depressive haze.

Collections

(90)
Compact view
Showing 1 - 24 of 90 results

Similar Titles

Loading ...

Statistics

Loading ...