Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
This gorgeous hand-drawn French animated film follows a Belgian toddler's awakening to life in 1960s Japan, and its warmth and visual magic are real — but so are its heavier themes: a near-drowning, a wartime burial-alive story, grief from World War II, and a scene that implies a character attempting to end her life. GKIDS distributed it theatrically in the US starting October 31, 2025, and it is in French (and some Japanese) with English subtitles, which means young non-readers will need an adult narrating alongside them.
Best suited to curious, patient kids around 8 and up who enjoy quieter, literary animated films and can handle big-feelings themes with a trusted adult nearby.
If you’d rather skip
An earthquake suddenly shakes the family home, jolting Amélie out of her vegetative state; the scene is brief but loud and abrupt.
Amélie nearly drowns at the beach in a scene involving surreal imagery; her brother raises the alarm and adults rescue her, but the sequence is tense.
The near-drowning and a second peril sequence are rendered in dreamlike, surreal animation that may feel strange or unsettling to young children.