Beginner 

This delightfully odd horror movie presents a whimsically strange alternate reality to younger audiences.

The movie opens with an empty house, cameras pan around from the perspective of what viewers are confused about at first, but turns out to be a spirit living in the home.

Izzy and Prince Thomas learn that taking control of their own destiny requires following their hearts and making their own decisions.

What seems like such a simple story of survival is so much more than that—it’s a story of family, and of war, and of destruction. It’s painful to watch, but not in a bad way. It makes its audience reflect on their own actions, and in how they are complicit in the sufferings of others as the adults in this film are. Grave of the Fireflies does not hold back from being heartbreaking, and it shouldn’t. It tells a message that needs to be heard decades after the war, and a story that cannot be forgotten by history.

A lonely little Hawaiian girl and her mischievous blue alien friend form a bond that heals both of their hearts, as well as ours. This live action version adds emotional nuances—notably in the sisters’ dynamic—while preserving the charm of the original.