Suzume tells a distressing story about environmental awareness through a wildly fantastical lens that makes it feel like the culmination of Makoto Shinkai’s filmography and a stunning synthesis of the ideas and themes that he’s explored for more than a decade. There’s a moment early on in Suzume where the titular character exclaims, “What is even happening right now?” which essentially becomes the movie’s mantra during this road trip rom-com and coming of age story that combines natural disasters with a supernatural apocalypse. Suzume may be terrified and confused, but the audience will be delighted over this animated masterpiece that’s the crowning achievement of Makoto Shinkai’s acclaimed career.

Suzume isn’t a short movie, but it wastes absolutely no time with its grandiose story. The film opens up its initial door and triggers cataclysmic chaos within the first ten minutes and is officially off to the races.