A Silent Voice review

Based on a Manga comic story, this beautifully animated Japanese movie tells the story of Shoko Nishimiya, who has transferred into a new school. Both hearing and speech impaired, the young girl is first teased, and then bullied, by cool kid Shoya Ishida and his friends. But when Shoko’s mother informs the school of the problem, Shoya’s friends turn on him, leaving him even more isolated than the subject of his bullying. Five years later and now in high school, Shoya tracks Shoko down and tries to make amends for his previous behaviour.

A moving story of bullying, friendship and the pain that comes with being a teenager, this subtle film skilfully deals with its subject matter in a way that many older children and adults will identify with. It’s often heartbreaking, but funny in places, too – in part due to Shoya’s new friend, the slightly overbearing but adorable Tomohiro – and while it drags a little in the middle (it is more than two hours long), overall it is a thought provoking film that all teens who have be bullied, or have bullied someone, should see.