Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

One of 2023’s best movies is now on sale for Amazon Prime Day. Here’s how to get it

Mahito Maki and the Grey Heron in The Boy and the Heron.
Studio Ghibli
Best Prime Day Deals Samsung Deals
This story is part of the Digital Trends Amazon Prime Day Coverage 2024

2023 was a great year for movies. Oppenheimer, All of Us Strangers, Barbie, and Anatomy of a Fall are just some of the many movies that were hits with both critics and audiences alike. Part of that elite group is a movie that took many by surprise as being one of the most striking, and popular, movies of last year.

When it debuted in the United States on December 8, The Boy and the Heron was already a hit in its home country of Japan, but it also struck a chord with American audiences. It became the rare non-English language animated movie to debut at No. 1 at the box office, grossing $12.8 million in three days on its way to reaping nearly $300 million worldwide. Now, you can own one of the greatest animated movies ever, and you don’t have to break the bank thanks to the sweet deal being offered during Amazon Prime Day.

Recommended Videos

How much is The Boy and The Heron, and how can you get it?

A boy and man encounter creatures in The Boy and the Heron.
GKIDS

The price varies on which version of The Boy and the Heron you want. If you want the straightforward Blu-ray and DVD combo set, that will cost you $26.95, which is 23% off the list price of $34.98.

The 4K version is a little bit more at $32.98, which is 18% off $39.98.

For those with a collector’s mindset, there’s the Limited Edition Steelbook 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray edition, which features custom artwork not available on the other editions. This version usually retails for $44.98, but Amazon has it at $34.95, which is 22% off and a steal considering all that you’re getting.

Is The Boy and the Heron worth owning?

THE BOY AND THE HERON | Official Teaser Trailer

You betcha! The movie is from the legendary director Hayao Miyazaki, who’s behind such classics as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and The Wind Rises. The Boy and The Heron is just as brilliant as those movies, and its story, about a young boy who tries to make sense of his mother’s death through magic, is one that’s timeless and relatable to all ages and nationalities. The movie went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature earlier this year, beating out Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. It’s that good.

No matter which edition you choose, the movie comes with bonus features including an English-language dub featuring such talents as Robert Pattinson, Christian Bale, Florence Pugh, Willem Dafoe, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Mark Hamill, and more. There’s also additional supplemental material that includes interviews with some of the creatives behind the film such as composer Joe Hisaishi, feature-length storyboards, and more.

The Boy and the Heron will make a worthy addition to any fan’s movie library. So what are you waiting for? A deal like this won’t last forever.

Jason Struss
Section Editor, Entertainment
Jason Struss joined Digital Trends in 2022 and has never lived to regret it. He is the current Section Editor of the…
One of 2022’s best shows is now on Netflix. Here’s why you should binge it now.
Promo art of Maddie in Pantheon.

Earlier this year, AMC struck a deal with Netflix that brought several of the cable channel's original series to the streamer. Fear the Walking Dead, Enter the Badlands, The Terror, A Discovery of Witches, Dark Winds, and more. Now, Pantheon, an animated cyberpunk series that was originally an AMC+ exclusive, has come to Netflix as well.

On the surface, Pantheon may look like any anime series that Netflix has picked up in Japan. But it's actually a surprisingly mature and intense show that blows away plenty of regular TV series.

Read more
5 movies leaving Amazon Prime Video in November 2024 you have to watch
Four people stand around a car in The Italian Job.

Amazon Prime Video has a vast selection of movies from which to choose, from classics to new films as well as Amazon Originals. The great news is that you can access them all with your base Amazon Prime subscription. If you pay the extra fee, you can enjoy them without ads, too. The bad news? Movies come and go all the time, so while some stick around for a year, even longer, others could be coming up for removal at a moment’s notice.

Case in point: This month, multiple movies from the James Bond franchise will be leaving the streaming service. This includes popular flicks about the charming British secret service agent played by numerous actors through the decades like Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, The Spy Who Loved Me, Live and Let Die, License to Kill, Skyfall, Spectre, and No Time to Die. You might want to hop onto a James Bond marathon this month before these films are removed from the streamer. When you’re done, check out these five movies leaving Amazon Prime Video in November 2024 as well.

Read more
3 underrated Amazon Prime Video movies you should watch this weekend (November 22-24)
The Lost City of Z

As we move toward the end of the year, there are more and more reasons to stay indoors and watch a great movie. Amazon Prime Video has one of the best libraries of movies worth exploring, but if you find yourself stuck when deciding what to actually watch, you're not alone.

A library as big as Amazon's can actually make deciding what to watch more difficult instead of easier. That's why we've rounded up three titles available on Prime Video that are the perfect way to spend the weekend.

Read more