3 Reasons Why 29-Years-Old Florence Pugh’s Highest Rated Movie is Better Than Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer

English actress Florence Pugh has been at the peak of her career for quite some time now. From portraying Amy March in Little Women to playing Jean Tatlock in Oppenheimer, Pugh has gained a lot of love and support from fans and has become one of the greatest actors in Hollywood. However, what many fans don’t know is that Pugh has also dipped her toes into the anime world.

English Actress Florence Pugh | Credit: Instagram@florencepugh

Pugh has played the role of Kiriko, one of the elderly maids who work at Natsuko’s estate in The Boy and The Heron. In fact, The Boy and The Heron is Pugh’s highest-rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes, crossing Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. In a way, The Boy and The Heron became her biggest movie for the year 2023.

The high rating of The Boy and The Heron hints that in many ways, the Hayao Miyazaki movie might be better than Oppenheimer. And there are three different reasons that support these speculations.

1 The emotional connection of The Boy and The Heron

Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and The Heron follows the story of Young Mahito Maki, who, in order to cope with the death of his mother, settles in a new town, but there he discovers a mythical world and decides to explore it. The story has a lot of emotional depth, which helps in creating a connection with fans.

Oppenheimer, on the other hand, is more focused on the historical element and its accuracy. The story is a depiction of one of the biggest inventions in mankind and how it affected the world. And while it creates a dramatic feel, the audience is not able to connect with it.

Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron | Credit: Studio Ghibli

Thus, in a way, The Boy and The Heron’s way of developing a connection with the viewers and allowing them to feel the emotions through a narrative makes it better than Oppenheimer’s.

2 The multiple themes of The Boy and The Heron

Miyazaki has a habit of creating layers within his movies, and these layers are explored through multiple themes. These themes change according to the development and make up for an enticing narrative, which was perfectly displayed in The Boy and The Heron.

Oppenheimer | Credit: Universal Pictures

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer follows only two layers that are depicted through two different perspectives. One was portrayed in color, and the other was in black and white, which provided the needed complexity but couldn’t add thrill or adventure to the storyline.

The Boy and The Heron holds a special place in Miyazaki’s heart, which is why he put his heart and soul into making the story one of the greatest plots ever. Thus the multiple layered themes made sense and became a big hit among the viewers.

3 The Boy and The Heron is visually wonderful

Studio Ghibli put their heart and soul into creating the visuals of The Boy and The Heron. From portraying the emotions of characters like Florence Pugh’s Kiriko to creating visually stunning creatures, Ghibli made sure that The Boy and The Heron were at the top in terms of animation quality.

The Boy and the Heron | Credit: Studio Ghibli

In the case of Oppenheimer, the movie indeed brings out the brilliance of Nolan as a director, but the visuals comparatively are not as good as the stunning effects of The Boy and The Heron. Also, the fact that it is an anime film makes a lot of difference.

Both The Boy and The Heron and Oppenheimer are masterpieces and prove excellence in their own ways. While The Boy and The Heron excel in some concepts, Oppenheimer steals the show in others, making them two of the greatest movies in history.

The Boy and the Heron is available for streaming on Netflix.