--- title: "Suzume: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/suzume/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/suzume" critics_score: 78 critics_reviews: 12 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Suzume (2022): what the critics said Critics' score 78 from 12 reviews: 10 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like Suzume, and the spread is narrow: nobody dismisses it, and the reservations are all of degree. Praise clusters on the animation, on Shinkai’s eye for the detail of contemporary Japan, and on the three-legged chair, which several reviews single out for its physical comedy and treat as the film’s warmest presence. Nearly every review takes the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake as the film’s real subject and credits Shinkai with handling grief and disaster in a way that stays accessible. The doubts gather in one place. Several critics find it less affecting than his earlier films, with The AV Club, Collider and The i Paper saying so directly; Sight and Sound adds that the plot lacks momentum. The Times finds it a little too worthy, and The Skinny, the lowest score here, thinks the road-trip scale costs the film the intimacy of his previous work. Time Out is alone in objecting to the product placement. ## Vulture — Alison Willmore Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 14 April 2023. The review calls it the best animated movie of the year so far, praising its openhearted romantic adventure about inheriting a broken world and its grounding in contemporary Japanese life and loss. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/suzume-is-the-best-animated-movie-of-the-year-so-far.html) ## Radio Times — James Mottram Rating 4/5. Another charming animated offering that weaves real-world themes into a fantastical story, with vibrant images confirming Shinkai's status. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-d1eu4r/suzume/) ## Time Out — Emma Steen Rating 4/5. 12 April 2023. It's a visually stunning crowdpleaser with the usual Shinkai formula of romance and disaster, though some plot elements and product placement are distracting. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/suzume-2023) ## The AV Club — Sam Barsanti Rating B. 14 April 2023. The critic notes it lacks the full emotional punch of prior films but singles out the genius animation and humor of the talking chair character and its Ghibli-esque qualities. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/suzume-film-review-makoto-shinkai-1850316376) ## Slant Magazine Rating ★★★. 9 April 2023. The critic affirms Shinkai’s auteur status with shimmering visuals and a sweet, strange story of a girl making peace with her past, though the narrative feels slightly crowded. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/suzume-review-shinkai-makoto/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 16 April 2023. The critic finds the apocalypse visually appealing in this painterly coming-of-age anime shadowed by the 2011 tsunami. Shinkai excels at vivid details of modern Japan but the fairytale script feels less nuanced and grounded than his earlier work. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/apr/16/suzume-review-a-painterly-coming-of-age-anime-from-the-director-of-your-name) ## Empire — Jake Cunningham 12 April 2023. The critic describes it as an entertaining epitaph to the 2011 Tōhoku disaster, with a realist approach to national trauma despite the fantastical chair element. They praise the comic relief from the three-legged chair and the film's blend of hilarity, frenzy, and emotional resonance. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/suzume/) ## IndieWire — Steph Green 23 February 2023. Festival review. The review describes an epic, moving story simultaneously about saving the world and confronting grief, hailing Shinkai’s natural disaster tale as wondrous. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/suzume-review-makoto-shinkai-1234812573/) ## Los Angeles Times 13 April 2023. The piece presents the film as worth seeing for its lush visuals and magical-realist take on disasters, following a girl’s journey to seal portals and confront her past. It notes the director’s personal connection to real earthquakes and the addition of comical elements like the sentient chair. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-04-14/suzume-makoto-shinkai-earthquake-disaster-worms) ## Screen Daily 23 February 2023. Festival review. A cosmic coming-of-age crowdpleaser with lavish animation, complex fantasy, and satisfying conclusion. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/suzume-berlin-review/5179595.article) ## Sight and Sound 11 April 2023. The critic praises the film's spectacle and themes of mourning but notes underdeveloped emotional elements and lack of momentum in the plot. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/suzume-this-beautifully-bonkers-anime-threatens-frazzle-synapses) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Leslie Felperin 23 February 2023. Festival review. The critic calls it a keeper despite familiar tropes, praising its emotional depth from the 2011 disaster, vivid characters including an expressive chair, and detailed animation of real and fantastical worlds. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/suzume-review-makoto-shinkai-1235332406/) ## The i Paper — Xuanlin Tham 14 April 2023. The critic finds it an ambitious tale of living with loss that delivers the expected visual grandeur but feels hurried in its pacing and character development. They single out the road-trip quest and talking-chair gag as imaginative yet note it falls short of Shinkai’s usual emotional impact. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/suzume-review-this-supernatural-anime-is-beautiful-but-rushed-2271976) ## The New York Times — Maya Phillips 13 April 2023. The critic finds Shinkai’s latest film an engaging mix of myth and contemporary elements, praising its ethereal animation and the story’s adventurous cross-country journey. Particular note is made of the effective physical comedy provided by the three-legged chair character. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/13/movies/suzume-review-makoto-shinkai.html) ## The Times Rating ★★★☆☆. 13 April 2023. Hormone-fuelled teenagers confront environmental destruction and personal grief in this ambitious fantasy adventure focused on the 2011 earthquake. The film has boundless ambition and courage in tackling weighty issues but can feel a little too worthy. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/suzume-review-a-courageous-animated-drama-from-japan-0w6tcdq6w) ## Total Film 17 April 2023. The critic calls it a rich, spectacular fantasy that honours Miyazaki while forging its own path with photorealism, whimsical elements, and a road-trip narrative. They highlight the poetic commentary on rural depopulation and the traumatic link to the 2011 earthquake as standing out. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/suzume-review/) ## Variety — Peter Debruge 23 February 2023. Festival review. The review describes the film as a relatively funny and streamlined fantasy epic that tackles earthquake trauma in an accessible way. It highlights Shinkai hitting his stride with emotional depth and strong visuals amid the door-closing adventures. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/suzume-review-makoto-shinkai-suzume-no-tojimari-1235533288/) ## Den of Geek — Daniel Kurland Rating 4.5/5. 14 April 2023. The critic calls Suzume Shinkai’s strongest film to date and an emotional triumph that synthesizes his recurring themes. They single out the inventive road-trip premise involving supernatural doors and worms as a highlight that blends environmental awareness with personal growth. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/suzume-review-a-breathtaking-environmental-anime/) ## Digital Spy — Gabriella Geisinger Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 14 April 2023. The critic hails Suzume as one of the year’s best films for its intimate focus on grief and self-discovery alongside entertaining fantasy elements. They praise the charming voice performances, anthropomorphic animation, and emotional payoff while noting its avoidance of deeper real-world climate critique. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a43243965/suzume-review-crunchyroll/) ## Eye for Film — Jane Fae Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 18 April 2023. The critic praises the film as beautiful, elevating and terrifying, a celebration of the ordinary and resilience in the face of disaster. They single out the personal response to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and the Easter eggs for anime fans. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/suzume-2022-film-review-by-jane-fae) ## Collider — Marco Vito Oddo Rating B. 14 April 2023. Shinkai has crafted another crowd-pleaser that blends supernatural threats with everyday human relationships, though it lacks the emotional impact of his prior films. The road-trip structure and character connections are singled out as strengths, while the ending and some CGI elements draw criticism. [Read the review](https://collider.com/suzume-review/) ## /Film — Jenna Busch Rating 7.5/10. 10 April 2023. The critic finds the story beautiful and emotionally resonant, praising Shinkai's ability to blend teen drama with larger themes of loss and natural disaster. They single out the seamless connection between the real world and magic, along with the animation. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1251796/suzume-review-heartfelt-magic/) ## The Skinny — Fernando García Rating ★★★. 11 April 2023. The critic finds Suzume visually astonishing with lush animation and witty moments but criticizes its overly long, epic, and cheesy narrative. They single out the immersive visual grandeur as the film’s main strength while lamenting the loss of intimacy compared to Shinkai’s earlier work. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/suzume) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/suzume.md