Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

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Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

PG

1985

1h 57m

Fantasy

Anime

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Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

23 Reviews

91%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Far in the future, after an apocalyptic conflict has devastated much of the world's ecosystem, the few surviving humans live in scattered semi-hospitable environments within what has become a "toxic jungle." Young Nausicaä lives in the arid Valley of the Wind and can communicate with the massive insects that populate the dangerous jungle. Under the guidance of the pensive veteran warrior, Lord Yupa, Nausicaä works to bring peace back to the ravaged planet.

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Michael Sragow

The New Yorker

Apr 1, 2013

When mammoth dandelions puff out spores, the sight is as seductive as it is lethal.

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Tasha Robinson

AV Club

Aug 10, 2009

Nausica is in some ways a grim and serious film, but it mixes a sweet optimism into its horror-filled lessons.

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Jul 24, 2026

5/10

Despite Miyazaki's polished, hand-drawn animation, I find that its narrative structure devolves into a dull, naive, and predictable exercise in environmental propaganda. [Full review in Spanish]

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Carson Timar

ClapperCast

Apr 6, 2025

It is insane to go back to this and see how strong Miyazaki already is with scope, size, and purpose. This is such a big story but it is masterfully controlled and focused.

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Diana Tuova

Loud and Clear Reviews

Nov 12, 2024

4.5/5

Beautifully revealing one complex world, Nausicaä is a wondrous, adventure-filled animation with a benevolent core.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Aug 22, 2023

4/4

[Miyazaki's] Nature-first, humanity-second approach to environmentalism began here…these ideas were never more pure than in their first assembly, gathered by an idealistic young Japanese animator on the verge of changing the medium with his vision.

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Olga

Sep 9, 2026

Absolute visional masterpiece, powerful story, profound message.

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Drew D

@Roadwarrior52 Oct 23, 2026

Pretty good. The story is paced a little wonky, yet the protagonist is very empowering and the animation is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen in any movie!

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Luis L

@BeanBean Aug 3, 2026

The animation and the style were awesome.

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Josh G

@Parsifal83 Jul 31, 2026

A strong early glimpse of what would make Studio Ghibli so special. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is imaginative, heartfelt, and full of big ideas, but it feels a little less polished than Miyazaki's later masterpieces, with pacing that occasionally drifts. Even so, the seeds of greatness are unmistakable.

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Jamal P

@RT39995825 May 13, 2026

YO THIS IS PEAK! WATCH NOW! seriously though, this is amazing.

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Skeletal G

@skeletal-ghost May 4, 2026

It is a film built on really interesting ideas and has an enjoyable and interesting plotline. The storyline can be slightly hard to follow due to there being many different things happening at once - but this doesn't take away from the overall quality of the film considerably. I would still definitely recommend it due to the beauty of the animations and the message the film sends.

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Hayao Miyazaki

Director

Shia LaBeouf

Asbel

Alison Lohman

Nausicaä

Patrick Stewart

Lord Yupa

Uma Thurman

Kushana

Chris Sarandon

Kurotowa

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Synopsis

Far in the future, after an apocalyptic conflict has devastated much of the world's ecosystem, the few surviving humans live in scattered semi-hospitable environments within what has become a "toxic jungle." Young Nausicaä lives in the arid Valley of the Wind and can communicate with the massive insects that populate the dangerous jungle. Under the guidance of the pensive veteran warrior, Lord Yupa, Nausicaä works to bring peace back to the ravaged planet.

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Screenwriter: Hayao Miyazaki, Cindy Davis Hewitt, Donald H. Hewitt
Distributor: New World Pictures
Production Co: Studio Ghibli
Rating: PG (Violence)
Genre: Fantasy, Anime
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 13, 1985, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): May 19, 2024
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 16, 2019
Runtime: 1h 57m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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