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FantasyAnimationAdventure Venice 2004 Editor's Pick

Howl's Moving Castle Review (2004) — 81% Celluloid Score

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki · 2004 ·

LLM fact sheet (.md)

Answer Summary: Is Howl's Moving Castle worth watching in the UK?

Howl's Moving Castle (2004) earns a 81% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

Quick Verdict: What is the Celluloid Score for Howl's Moving Castle?

Averaged from five public sources (critic, audience, Metascore, Letterboxd, IMDb). See how we calculate scores.

81%
Celluloid Score Recommended

Five-source breakdown

86% Critic Score
85% Audience
74 Metascore
★★★½☆ Letterboxd 3.8
8.2 IMDb /10
Runtime
1h 59m
Cast
Chieko Baisho , Takuya Kimura , Akihiro Miwa , Tatsuya Gashuin , Ryunosuke Kamiki , Mitsunori Isaki , Yo Oizumi , Akio Otsuka , Daijirō Harada , Haruko Katō
Where to watch in the UK
Netflix

Where to watch in the United Kingdom

  • Netflix

Why this score?

  • Majority of critics rated it fresh (86%).
  • General viewers mostly liked it (85%).
  • Metascore is generally favorable (74/100).
  • IMDb users score it 8.2/10.
  • Celluloid Score 81% averages all five public rating sources — our own composite, not a third-party trademark score.

Best for

  • Viewers who want a well-regarded fantasy, animation, adventure pick

Not ideal for

    Scores reflect data indexed at build time. Component sources are shown on this page; Celluloid Score is our composite, not a third-party trademark. Scoring policy

    Is Howl's Moving Castle worth watching?

    Yes — Howl's Moving Castle earns a 81% Celluloid Score. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.

    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.

    Celluloid Critics Consensus

    Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

    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.

    Critic Reviews

    critic Howl's Moving Castle

    Howl's Moving Castle (2004) Review

    Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle (2004) remains a defining Fantasy landmark from Japan, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

    Strongly recommended — holds up for new and returning viewers.

    Dr. Amara Okonkwo World Cinema Editor

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