Spirited Away

The beginning of Spirited Away is a truly brilliant one. It mixes tension and contemplation, touches even some horror elements, has that dark atmosphere and is visually stunning. The design of the spirits, the spirit world and especially that of the bathhouse is fantastic.  However, in my personal opinion, the second half of the film feels dragged especially when the Stink Spirit (that is in fact the river spirit) arrives and when the faceless creature (with a really cool design btw) starts eating everything. I understand that it can be seen as satire of capitalism and overconsumption but it still feels forced. The whole relationship between Chihiro and Haku felt somewhat underdeveloped and already seen but it didn’t bother me more than that. Overall the plot in this second half (including Yubaba’s twin sister) felt chaotic. The visuals however, especially when Chihiro takes the mysterious train remain beautiful. In conclusion, I believe that Spirited Away could have been much better if it was a bit shortened towards the end. More time could’ve also been given to the very conclusion that felt, on the other hand, a little rushed.