Overview
A poignant tale of friendship that transcends time and reality, exploring the bonds that shape us.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- dreamy
- wistful
- quiet evening
- family movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film’s visual and narrative beauty, emotional sincerity, and Studio Ghibli craftsmanship while finding it less magical and distinctive than the studio’s greatest works.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Anna’s mysterious friendship with Marnie slowly reveals intimate ties to Anna’s past and family.
The marsh house, shoreline, and rural surroundings mirror Anna’s loneliness, curiosity, and gradual emotional opening.
Anna’s encounter with Marnie helps her confront painful memories and understand the emotional history surrounding her.
Marnie’s presence is experienced as a deeply personal friendship while the film delays a straightforward explanation of their connection.
Films like When Marnie Was There, and why
The Secret World of Arrietty
shared Studio Ghibli animation, young female protagonist, rural Japanese setting, emotional coming-of-age themes, and gentle supernatural ambiguity
A Letter to Momo
shared Japanese animated drama, lonely child protagonist, healing friendship, and mysterious connection between ordinary life and the fantastical
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
shared melancholic coming-of-age story, female friendship, memory, and emotionally resonant supernatural elements
Whisper of the Heart
shared Studio Ghibli visual beauty, introspective adolescent heroine, domestic settings, and themes of identity and belonging
Movie Details
- Director
- Hiromasa Yonebayashi
- Release Date
- 2014-07-19
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 7.9 / 10 (2024)
Cast
- Sara Takatsuki
- Kasumi Arimura
- Nanako Matsushima
- Susumu Terajima
- Toshie Negishi
- Ryoko Moriyama
- Kazuko Yoshiyuki
- Hitomi Kuroki
- Hiroyuki Morisaki
- Takuma Otoo
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is When Marnie Was There about?
- A lonely asthmatic girl discovers a mysterious friendship that opens a path through memory, abandonment, and belonging.
- What is When Marnie Was There like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of When Marnie Was There as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is When Marnie Was There violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in When Marnie Was There.
- What did critics think of When Marnie Was There?
- Critics broadly praised the film’s visual and narrative beauty, emotional sincerity, and Studio Ghibli craftsmanship while finding it less magical and distinctive than the studio’s greatest works.
- Which films are like When Marnie Was There?
- Films with a similar feel include The Secret World of Arrietty, A Letter to Momo, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and Whisper of the Heart.
- How long is When Marnie Was There?
- When Marnie Was There runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch When Marnie Was There?
- In United States, When Marnie Was There streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.
