We are used to entering cinematic fantasy worlds in which we learn the rules of how the world works and then watch our hero navigate through it: think of Star Wars, Dune, The Matrix, and The Wizard of Oz, and Lord of the Rings. But Spirited Away (2001) works differently than these, with a logic that seems just out of reach and which we, like the hero, try to discern. Join Mike and Dan for an appreciation of a film about childhood that works like the real thing; the film feels as if it were created by children, and they mean that as the highest compliment. Along the way, the guys talk about left brain / right brain film structure and how Spirited Away resembles John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme. So hop on the train with No-Face, and give it a listen!

Interested in a short critical study of the film? Check out Andrew Osmond’s volume in the BFI Film Classics series.

Follow us on X or Letterboxd. Incredible bumper music by John Deley.

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