# Howl's Moving Castle (2004) — Celluloid fact sheet

Source: https://celluloidscore.com/movies/howl-s-moving-castle-2004/
Last reviewed: 2026-07-23

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Celluloid Score | 81% |
| Critic Score | 86% |
| Audience Score | 85% |
| Metascore | 74/100 |
| Letterboxd | 3.8/5 |
| IMDb | 8.2/10 |
| Director | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Genres | Fantasy, Animation, Adventure |
| Runtime | 119 min |
| Festival premiere | Venice 2004 |

## Quick answer

Howl's Moving Castle (2004) earns a 81% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Miyazaki’s anti-war fantasy romance — cursed Sophie, the walking castle, and Calcifer — is Ghibli’s most rewatched Engli Metascore 74/100. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

## Critics consensus

Miyazaki’s anti-war fantasy romance — cursed Sophie, the walking castle, and Calcifer — is Ghibli’s most rewatched English-language gateway after Spirited Away.

## Synopsis

Sophie, a young milliner, is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her. She encounters a wizard named Howl and gets caught up in his resistance to fighting for the king.

## Cast

Chieko Baisho, Takuya Kimura, Akihiro Miwa, Tatsuya Gashuin, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Mitsunori Isaki, Yo Oizumi, Akio Otsuka, Daijirō Harada, Haruko Katō

## Accolades

Premiered at Venice 2004.

## Where to watch

Global: HBO Max
the United States: HBO Max
the United Kingdom: Netflix
Indonesia: Netflix
India: Netflix

## Critic reviews on Celluloid: 1

## Common questions

**Is Howl's Moving Castle worth watching?**
Howl's Moving Castle holds a 81% Celluloid Score. Miyazaki’s anti-war fantasy romance — cursed Sophie, the walking castle, and Calcifer — is Ghibli’s most rewatched English-language gateway after Spirited Away.

**What is Howl's Moving Castle about?**
Sophie, a young milliner, is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her. She encounters a wizard named Howl and gets caught up in his resistance to fighting for the king.

**Who directed Howl's Moving Castle?**
Howl's Moving Castle (2004) was directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

**What is the Celluloid Score of Howl's Moving Castle?**
81% — the average of five public sources: critics 86%, audience 85%, Metascore 74/100, Letterboxd 3.8/5, and IMDb 8.2/10.

**Where can I watch Howl's Moving Castle?**
Howl's Moving Castle is streaming on HBO Max; on HBO Max in the United States; on Netflix in the United Kingdom; on Netflix in Indonesia; on Netflix in India. Availability varies by region.

---
Reviewed and scored by Celluloid · Editor: Kaiser Khan (https://celluloidscore.com/author/kaiser-khan/)

Markdown mirror: https://celluloidscore.com/movies/howl-s-moving-castle-2004.md