My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
He's your friendly neighbourhood forest spirit!
Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 16 April 1988 |
| Genre | Fantasy, Animation, Family |
| Director | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Starring | Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto and Hitoshi Takagi |
| Runtime | 86 min |
| Rated | G |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes 93% · Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8.4/10 · Anime-Planet 4.234/5 · Metacritic 87/100 · IMDb 8.1/10 · TMDB users 8.1/10 |
| Box office | $31 million worldwide |
Where to watch My Neighbor Totoro
My Neighbor Totoro is streaming on Max ($18.49 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Max is $18.49 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 25 October 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
Rent or buy
You can rent My Neighbor Totoro on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home and Plex. It is also for sale on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
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What kind of watch this is
My Neighbor Totoro is an 86-minute fantasy from 1988, directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It strips the genre down to its quietest parts, focusing on two sisters navigating a rural landscape where the trees hold secrets. The film trusts its audience to sit with stillness, letting the magic emerge from the mundane rather than forcing it. It is a masterclass in restraint, proving that a giant forest spirit can be more compelling than any explosion. The only real threat here is getting sleepy.
What the critics said
Critics did not just like it; they argued it was essential. Rotten Tomatoes holds a 93% Tomatometer score as of March 2024. Metacritic assigns an 87 Metascore, a number that signals universal acclaim. Roger Ebert called it "one of the lovingly hand-crafted works of Hayao Miyazaki," a phrase that does the heavy lifting for the entire review. He noted the film relies on exploration, not conflict. Steve Rose of The Guardian praised the "rich, bright, hand-drawn" animation. Dissent is rare. Charlotte O’Sullivan found it lacking complexity compared to Spirited Away. That is a fair trade for a film that feels like a warm room you forgot you needed.
How it did with audiences
The film pulled $31 million worldwide, a figure that Box Office Mojo tracked from 2002 onward. In the United States, it took in $2 million. That is a modest number for a global release, but it captures the quiet, steady way the film found its audience. On TMDB, users give it an 8.1 out of 10. It is a score that suggests people watch it, pause, and then watch it again. The numbers are steady, not explosive, which fits the mood.
Awards
My Neighbor Totoro collected 4 awards in 1988. The list includes the Mainichi Film Awards, the Ōfuji Noburō Award, the Blue Ribbon Awards, and the Kinema Junpo Award for Best Film of the Year. There were no nominations to tally, just wins. A clean sweep, in a way.
Where it left its mark
Miyazaki’s Totoro achieved a status in Japan that critics compare to Winnie-the-Pooh in Britain. The Independent called the creature one of the greatest cartoon characters, noting it captures childhood magic better than Miyazaki’s other works. The Financial Times argued Totoro is more genuinely loved than Mickey Mouse. That affection translates into real-world protection. The character served as the mascot for a fund aimed at preserving satoyama in Saitama Prefecture. An asteroid and a species of velvet worm in Vietnam also bear his name. It is a rare case where a fictional cat-bear helps keep a landscape alive.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched My Neighbor Totoro.
Read more: Spirited Away
Sources
- My Neighbor Totoro on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q39571 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “My Neighbor Totoro” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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