Earwig and the Witch (2021)

Earwig and the Witch is a small, mischievous slice of Studio Ghibli magic—less a sweeping epic than a cozy, prickly little fairy tale powered by a heroine who refuses to be pushed around. Goro Miyazaki leans into a playful, potion-simmering vibe where the fun comes from watching Earwig’s personality spark against a household of odd rules, secret rooms, and simmering attitudes, all rendered with expressive faces and tactile details even in the studio’s controversial CGI style. It’s got mild spooky imagery and a streak of rudeness that feels true to old storybook witches, but it stays firmly in family-friendly territory. If you want classic Ghibli grandeur, this may feel slight; if you’re open to a compact, character-driven romp with a bratty charm and a dash of musical mystery, it’s an easy, curious watch.

Earwig and the Witch is clearly aiming for a mischievous, kid-friendly Ghibli-adjacent fable about independence, magic, and outsmarting the adults around you. The problem is it often feels more like an extended pilot than a full movie: the plotting is choppy, the characters don’t get the depth you keep waiting for, and the ending arrives with a “wait, that’s it?” abruptness. The CG animation has moments of charm, but it’s stiff and flat compared to the studio’s usual warmth, which makes the tone feel oddly thin for a story built on wonder. If you’re expecting the emotional sweep and visual poetry of classic Ghibli, you’ll likely be disappointed; if you can treat it as a small, snarky kids’ romp with mild spooky vibes, you may find it passable.