Overview
A young girl discovers a hidden world of tiny people living in her home, leading to an unexpected friendship.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- gentle
- whimsical
- nostalgic
- family movie night
- quiet afternoon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a visually lush, soulful, and unusually quiet Studio Ghibli family fantasy.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Clock family constructs its home from borrowed items inside a human house, emphasizing scale-based visual invention.
Arrietty and her family survive through anonymity and borrowing while living beneath the notice of human residents.
Fourteen-year-old Arrietty's first borrowing expedition coincides with the upheaval caused by Sho discovering her.
The family's hidden life is closely connected to the garden, forested surroundings, and seasonal atmosphere beyond the house.
Films like The Secret World of Arrietty, and why
My Neighbor Totoro
whimsical japanese fantasy, child protagonists, gentle coming-of-age themes, and richly detailed natural environments
Ponyo
studio ghibli fantasy, emotionally sincere childhood adventure, miniature-scale wonder, and quiet environmental atmosphere
The Borrowers
small-scale magical fantasy, secret domestic worlds, tender friendship, and a nostalgic tone
When Marnie Was There
anime fantasy centered on an adolescent protagonist, intimate human relationships, and lyrical visual storytelling
Movie Details
- Director
- Hiromasa Yonebayashi
- Release Date
- 2010-07-16
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (3287)
Cast
- Mirai Shida
- Ryunosuke Kamiki
- Tomokazu Miura
- Keiko Takeshita
- Kirin Kiki
- Shinobu Otake
- Tatsuya Fujiwara
- Shin'ichi Hatori
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 The Secret World of Arrietty about?
- A tiny borrower risks her family's hidden life when a lonely human boy discovers her existence.
- What is The Secret World of Arrietty like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Secret World of Arrietty as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Secret World of Arrietty violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Secret World of Arrietty.
- What did critics think of The Secret World of Arrietty?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a visually lush, soulful, and unusually quiet Studio Ghibli family fantasy.
- Which films are like The Secret World of Arrietty?
- Films with a similar feel include My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo, The Borrowers, and When Marnie Was There.
- How long is The Secret World of Arrietty?
- The Secret World of Arrietty runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Secret World of Arrietty?
- In United States, The Secret World of Arrietty streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.
