Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

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Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

PG

2025

1h 18m

Drama

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

88 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

The world is a perplexing, peaceful mystery to Amélie until a miraculous encounter with chocolate ignites her wild sense of curiosity. As she develops a deep attachment to her family's housekeeper, Nishio-san, Amélie discovers the wonders of nature as well as the emotional truths hidden beneath the surface of her family's idyllic life as foreigners in post-war Japan. Adapted from the autobiographical novel by Amélie Nothomb and brought to life in the completely original animated style of directors Mailys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN tells a tender, poignant and visually stunning story about the healing power of human connection.

Critics Consensus

Conveying complex emotions through a deceptively simple story and dynamic colors, Little Amélie is an enchanting animated feature that brims with wisdom.

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

Feb 19

This is a poetic and strikingly beautiful work: it looks like a shimmering watercolour painting. It combines moments of playful, droll humour with darker themes, such as bereavement, grief and the still-fresh scars of the second world war.

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Jordan King

Empire Magazine

Feb 14

5/5

A beautifully hand-crafted love letter to childhood, self-discovery, and the life-changing power of really good chocolate, Little Amélie is 78 minutes of pure animated joy that welcomes one and all. 

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David Jenkins

Little White Lies

Feb 13

4/5

With its vibrant use of colour, expressive character design and flights of expressionist fancy, Little Amélie offers a lyrical vision of early-years development and so much more.

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Erick Estrada

Cinegarage

Apr 20

The work developed by Liane-Cho Han and Maïlys Vallade around the texts of Amélie Nothomb is truly outstanding. [Full review in Spanish]

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Laura Hiros

Rincón de cine

Apr 18

5/5

A work that reminds us that life is a miracle—one that begins with a simple cry and ends as an eternal search for meaning. Simple, and completely sensational. [Full Review in Spanish]

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Sarah Vincent

Sarah G Vincent Views

Mar 22

An undeniably poignant and stunning feature but translating Japanese and Belgian culture for American viewers may leave them more puzzled than moved.

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Lisa Jennings

Jan 18

I came into this film simply wanting to cherish hearing my granddaughters voice, and I left profoundly moved. I dont cry easily, but this film brought tears to my eyes. The artwork is breathtaking, the voice actors are exceptional, the soundtrack lingers, and the message is clear: we need to accept and love one another. We all carry stories, and kindness matters. Life is truly worth living.

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Caitlynn

Nov 20

Little Amlie was a fantastic film

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Kare

Nov 13

I thought the movie as a whole was fantastic, but I have mixed feelings about the more intense portions of the plot and might recommend a trigger warning… especially for younger viewers

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Joseph O

Nov 11

The plot and the animation are both very good. The main character as someone who knows everything but has to learn about everything is unique. The animation is expressive and lends to the emotional nature of parts of the story.

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Jared

Nov 10

Beautiful, funny, moving, artfully made film that engaged the whole family. My 11 year old after the movie "why don't they make more animated movies like that in America?"

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Jesus Gonzalez

Nov 10

such a beautiful animated movie

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Maïlys Vallade

Director

Liane-Cho Han

Director

Loïse Charpentier

Amélie

Victoria Grobois

Nishio-San

Laetitia Coryn

Danièle

Marc Arnaud

Patrick

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Little Amélie or the Character of Rain: Exclusive Trailer

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Little Amélie or the Character of Rain: English Trailer

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Little Amélie or the Character of Rain: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

The world is a perplexing, peaceful mystery to Amélie until a miraculous encounter with chocolate ignites her wild sense of curiosity. As she develops a deep attachment to her family's housekeeper, Nishio-san, Amélie discovers the wonders of nature as well as the emotional truths hidden beneath the surface of her family's idyllic life as foreigners in post-war Japan. Adapted from the autobiographical novel by Amélie Nothomb and brought to life in the completely original animated style of directors Mailys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN tells a tender, poignant and visually stunning story about the healing power of human connection.

Director: Maïlys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han
Producer: Henri Magalon, Edwina Liard, Claire La Combe, Nidia Santiago
Screenwriter: Liane-Cho Han, Maïlys Vallade, Aude Py, Eddine Noël
Distributor: GKIDS
Production Co: Ikki Films, Maybe Movies
Rating: PG (Thematic Content|Peril|Brief Scary Images)
Genre: Drama, Animation
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 31, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 9, 2025
Runtime: 1h 18m