Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
A shy 11-year-old's life takes a strange turn when she discovers three hungry goblins living in the attic of her new house. She misses her old life. She misses her father so very much. Until she makes some new ghoulish friends.
A Letter to Momo is a heartfelt Studio-adjacent Japanese animated film directed by Hiroyuki Okiura, best known for Jin-Roh. Its greatest strength is its cinematography and visual craft — the rural Seto Inland Sea setting is rendered with extraordinary detail and warmth, with fluid animation and a palpable sense of place that rivals the best of Studio Ghibli's work. The plot is emotionally resonant but fairly familiar in the 'child coping with loss via supernatural beings' subgenre, reminiscent of My Neighbor Totoro and similar films, keeping its novelty modest. The voice acting (Japanese cast) is solid and naturalistic, particularly for Momo, but doesn't stand out as exceptional. The ending delivers emotional payoff and ties the grief arc together satisfyingly, though it follows expected beats. Overall a beautiful, affecting film that slightly underperforms its visual ambitions in narrative originality.