Mary and The Witch's Flower, a new GKIDS release here in the States and the first film from Studio Ponoc, is a family-friendly magical experience that's the perfect way to start your movie-going adventures this year. Our own Haleigh Foutch called it enchanting, charming, and "an utterly bewitching delight" in her review, and it's been featured in our own Collider Kids segment and our list of the most-anticipated movies of 2018. But if you need a little more to go on before committing to see the new release, you're in luck, because we've put together the seven most magical, animated moves to see before checking out Mary and The Witch's Flower.

Why 7? Well, it's a pretty lucky number to begin with, and it just feels right as a selection of films that encompass the fun, variety, and amount of magic on display in director Hiromasa Yonebayashi's adaptation of Mary Stewart's children's story, "The Little Broomstick." Don't worry, they're not all Studio Ghibli movies, though a selection of animated tales from that acclaimed studio certainly appear. You'll also find a Pixar favorite, some Disney magic, a stop-motion classic, contemporary anime, and even a little bit of early 90s pro-environmental nostalgia for your viewing pleasure. 

Now there are a lot of elements in Mary and The Witch's Flower that pop up in all sorts of animated TV shows and movies--I like to think both Mary and the title protagonist of Studio Ghibli's animated series Ronja the Robber's Daughter would get along swimmingly--but this list was specifically narrowed down to get as close to the heart, tone, and style of the GKIDS' release as possible. If you love any of the following films, there's a great chance that Mary and The Witch's Flower will be a new favorite for you. You can check it out in theaters starting January 19th, giving you plenty of time to watch the following films!

Brave

Where to Watch: Brave

Maybe it's the fiery, red-headed, female protagonist, maybe it's the story that takes place in a world of magic, or maybe it's the adventurous nature of both tales, but Pixar's 2012 film immediately comes to mind when thinking about companion tales. Centering on Princess Merida, Brave sets the Scottish hero on a path to undo a terrible curse after her impetuousness lands her and her family in trouble. It's a tale full of misunderstood magic, incredible courage, and heartfelt family ties, making it a perfect big sister for Mary and The Witch's Flower.

Mary may not have Merida's archery skills, but she does possess a similar headstrong nature and thirst for adventure and discovery. It's this trait that lands both of them in trouble when it comes to magic they don't quite understand, but it's also this stubbornness that sees them through when the going gets tough. Both Mary and Merida will do whatever it takes to keep their friends and family safe, even if that means putting their own lives on the line in the process.

Honorable Mention: Moana

Coraline

Where to Watch: Coraline

One of the most beloved and admired heroes of all time is the title character of Henry Selick's stop-motion animation of Neil Gaiman's tale, Coraline. The story follows a rather adventurous girl who, neglected by her parents, discovers a portal to a world that exists outside her own, a world that's just a little bit off. At first glance, this new reality seems to be ideal, but Coraline soon finds out that darkness lies at the heart of it, and that she's the only one who can put a stop to the world's dark ruler.

Mary, too, is left to her own devices while her parents are away. When her aunt and caretaker get called away on a daytrip, Mary's inquisitive nature lands her unwittingly into trouble of the magical sort that transports her to a whole other world. While she may enjoy visiting this seemingly ideal world for a bit, it becomes apparent that all is not well here. Before she knows it, Mary finds herself snared in a nefarious scheme perpetrated by the slightly scary denizens of the magical realm. Unfortunately, she can't call on Coraline for assistance on this one, but like that title hero, Mary will have allies of her own on her side.

Fantasia

Where to Watch: Fantasia: Sorcerer's Apprentice

You remembered that Mary and The Witch's Flower was based on a story called "The Little Broom", right? Well, that character is one of the highlights of the movie and it's got a strong personality all its own. It immediately made me think of the legions of marching brooms is Disney's Fantasia that were enchanted by the sorcerer's apprentice and forced to do manual labor. That didn't turn out so well for Mickey in the end.

Now Mickey was cutting corners and being a little lazy when he meddled in magic he didn't quite understand and couldn't control; Mary falls into a similar situation through pure curiosity. Luckily, her broom pal gets her out of just as much trouble as it gets her into. And even though Mary may not have mastery over the magic she commands, she does have access to some wisdom from more experienced magic-wielders to give her a helping hand.

Little Witch Academia

Where to Watch: Little Witch Academia, Little Witch Academia: The Enchanted Parade.

This relatively recent addition to the magical fantasy anime genre is absolutely delightful. The story follows the non-magical girl Atsuko Kagari as she enrolls in an all-girls school named Luna Nova Magical Academy. She struggles to excel in her lessons, but her desire to spread love and joy through magic, and her fascination with the super-positive witch Shiny Chariot, helps to get her through her toughest challenges. She also happens to be the wielder of the Shiny Rod, a powerful magical relic that may be the key to restoring magic throughout the world. (The short film that started it all, Little Witch Academia, was eventually followed by a longer yet-still-short film Little Witch Academia: The Enchanted Parade and an anime series that continues Atsuko's adventures.)

Mary, too, lacks any magical training or natural talent at the outset of her journey, and it's the titular flower that grants her certain abilities, like flying on a magical broom. That leads her to the discovery and surprisingly sudden enrollment at Endor College, a magical academy run by headmistress Madam Mumblechook and the brilliant Doctor Dee. Despite being caught up in all the fascinating things to learn and experience here, Mary soon learns that all is not well at Endor, and that it's up to her to right old wrongs and restore the balance of magic to the world.

FernGully

Where to Watch: FernGully: The Last Rainforest

Back in the early 90s, pro-environmental movies were all the rage. FernGully remains one of the most memorable of these. It centered on a troupe of fairies and magical creatures of the rainforest who used their magic to accidentally shrink a human logger down to their size. Now seeing the rainforest through the eyes of the fairies, the human comes to see mankind's use of technology to pollute and destroy the environment as a greedy, unnecessary evil.

Mary and The Witch's Flower does a fantastic job of tackling pro-environmental themes with much more subtlety than something like FernGully, but the clues are everywhere to be found. Mary and her allies live in either the countryside, a small town, or in a remote seaside cottage; the magical world, however is composed of both naturally derived magics and strange, ill-fitting contraptions that were clearly rigged by human hands after the fact. This contrast between the natural and the artificial becomes more apparent as the story moves along, so it's an interesting motif to keep an eye out for while you're watching.

Kiki's Delivery Service

Where to Watch: Kiki's Delivery Service

You knew there had to be a Studio Ghibli film from Hayao Miyazaki on this list, right? This 1989 film follows the titular young witch during her year of independence as she attempts to fit into a small, seaside community and to use her abilities to make a living. With the help of her talking cat Jiji and her ability to fly on a broomstick, Kiki establishes a courier service to help a local baker with deliveries. While Kiki's Delivery Service is more of a character-driven story that focuses on the young witch learning the difference between independence and reliance, it does have a lot in common with Mary and The Witch's Flower.

Superficially, both Mary and Kiki fly on broomsticks, deliver things throughout their towns, and pal around with sassy cats. They also have some interesting relationships with local boys; Kiki has the aviation-obsessed Tombo while Mary crosses paths with the confident Peter on a number of occasions. In both films, our heroines are tasked with saving themselves as well as Tombo/Peter, a bit of a script flip from the usual way these things play out. On a slightly deeper level, both Kiki and Mary are forced to find their inner strength and bolster their courage in order to save the day, a decision that's triggered by seeing their friends and family in danger. That's a classic hero's journey!

The Secret World of Arrietty

Where to Watch: The Secret World of Arrietty

Since Hiromasa Yonebayashi directed Mary and The Witch's Flower, it's only right to include his directorial debut for Studio Ghibli's The Secret World of Arrietty on this list. Based on Mary Norton's book "The Borrowers", Arrietty follows a young boy named Shoe who discovers a family of little Borrowers living beneath the floorboards of his mother's childhood home in the countryside. Sho, who spends a week in the summer at this house with his great aunt and the home's caretaker, befriends the title character and learns about their existence in this world, bit by bit. It's a clever twist on the idea of discovering a magical world in our midst, one which Sho can only observe as an outsider but we, as audience members, get to inspect a little more intimately.

The comparisons to Mary and The Witch's Flower are more about setting than story in this case. The attention to detail for the natural world and the peculiar style of the magical realm are visual feasts that a worth watching for in their own right. The animation is simply gorgeous in both films. And in terms of their lightness of tone and youthful energy, both Arrietty and Mary and The Witch's Flower are cut from a similar cloth. If you're looking for a breezy, family-friendly magical adventure, you'd be well served to check out either film, or better yet, both of them!

After all that, you should be primed to go see Mary and The Witch's Flower next weekend. Here's the film's official synopsis and poster:

From Academy Award®-nominated Hiromasa Yonebayashi – animator on Studio Ghibli masterpieces Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Ponyo, and director of When Marnie Was There and The Secret World of Arrietty – comes a dazzling new adventure about a young girl named Mary, who discovers a flower that grants magical powers, but only for one night.

 

Mary is an ordinary young girl stuck in the country with her Great-Aunt Charlotte and seemingly no adventures or friends in sight. She follows a mysterious cat into the nearby forest, where she discovers an old broomstick and the strange Fly-by-Night flower, a rare plant that blossoms only once every seven years and only in that forest. Together the flower and the broomstick whisk Mary above the clouds, and far away to Endor College – a school of magic run by headmistress Madam Mumblechook and the brilliant Doctor Dee. But there are terrible things happening at the school, and when Mary tells a lie, she must risk her life to try to set things right.

 

Based on Mary Stewart’s 1971 classic children’s book The Little Broomstick, Mary and The Witch’s Flower is an action-packed film full of jaw-dropping imaginative worlds, ingenious characters, and the and the stirring, heartfelt story of a young girl trying to find a place in the world. Featuring the voices of Ruby Barnhill and Academy Award®-winners Kate Winslet and Jim Broadbent.