Flixwatcher: A Netflix Film Review Podcast

Carrie Morrison (Lights, Carrie, Action podcast) and Jessica Regan (Best Pick podcast) return to Flixwatcher remotely to review Carrie’s choice My Neighbor Totoro. My Neighbor Totoro is the 1988 iconic Studio Ghibli animation. Written and directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki it tells the story of sisters Satsuki and Mei who move to a rural setting while their mother is unwell and in hospital. One day, Mei follows two spirits into the forest and finds a sleeping "Totoro" - a sort of chinchilla type animal - and falls asleep on its belly. Satsuki at first doesn’t believe Mei that the Totoro exists but later when they are waiting for the bus in the rain Totoro appears. With a run time of under 90 minutes My Neighbor Totoro is light on narrative but heavy on fantasy and animism - the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. It is impossible not to be drawn into the fantasy and charm of Totoro and this was heavily reflected in the scores. The recommendability scores