Shinkai's highly anticipated follow-up to his 2016 hit Your Name charms with an adolescent story of two teens, Hodaka and Hina. He, an island runaway looking to survive in Tokyo, and she a "Weather Child"—the title’s literal translation—who can stop the rain and clear the sky. More than a coming of age story, Weathering With You is Shinkai's updated version of the ancient “sunshine girl” myth. Projected onto a Tokyo in the age of climate change, the future looks rather bleak—even if the never-ending rain only adds another shimmering layer to Shinkai’s exquisitely drawn, intricate backgrounds. His intense realism mixed with sobering moments—such as a summer cicada in the middle of a sudden snowstorm—call attention to preservation of the world beyond Shinkai’s magic screen. Will Hina be able to restore harmony to the Earth? At what price? With a brilliant soundtrack by Radwimps, Weathering With You is Shinkai's second box-office typhoon and Japan's official nomination for the 2020 Academy Awards for Best International Film.

Age recommendation: 12+