Movie · 1959 · Fantasy, Animation, Romance, Family · 1h 15m · G · English
Curator score: 6.4/10 (571.6K ratings)
Awaken to a World of Wonders!
Overview
Cursed to die by the evil fairy Maleficent when she was a baby, Princess Aurora is sent into hiding under protection from three good fairies. As she grows up far away, Maleficent becomes increasingly determined to seal the princess's fate.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.4/10
IMDb: 7.2/10
Letterboxd: 3.57/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Metacritic: 85
TMDB: 6.9/10
Director
Clyde Geronimi
Production
Walt Disney Productions
Cast
Mary Costa, Bill Shirley, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, Barbara Luddy, Barbara Jo Allen, Taylor Holmes, Bill Thompson, Marvin Miller, Candy Candido, Pinto Colvig, Bob Amsberry
Where to watch
Disney Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A landmark Disney fantasy: brief, simple, and emotionally straightforward, but astonishingly rich in design, color, and atmosphere. Its story is familiar, yet the visual artistry and Maleficent’s menace make it feel grand and enduring.
Best for
classic animation fans
viewers who prioritize visual style and production design
family audiences
fans of fairy-tale fantasy
people curious about Disney history
Skip if
you want a complex plot or modern pacing
you dislike old-fashioned gender politics and royal-romance tropes
you prefer dialogue-heavy character comedy over mood and spectacle
Overview
Sleeping Beauty is one of the great showcases of hand-drawn animation. The film’s stylized backgrounds, angular character design, and bold use of color give it a storybook grandeur that still feels distinctive decades later. Even when the plot is thin, the imagery carries real weight, and the villain’s presence gives the whole film a sharp edge.
Worth noting
What lingers most is the confidence of the craft. The movie moves with a formal, almost ceremonial rhythm, and that makes the fairy-tale elements feel larger than life. It is less interested in psychological realism than in pageantry, menace, and visual composition, which is exactly why it remains so admired.
Bottom line
It is also very much a product of its era, with a romance and royal destiny framework that can feel dated. But if you come for the animation, the atmosphere, and one of Disney’s most iconic antagonists, it delivers beautifully. This is a classic that earns its reputation through pure artistry.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Mercedes (5★) · 7646 likes
NOW FATHER, YOU'RE LIVING IN THE PAST. THIS IS THE 14TH CENTURY!
James (Schaffrillas) (3.5★) · 4246 likes
"Now shall you deal with me, O Prince, and all the powers of hell" rawest line in a Disney movie fr
molly (4★) · 3902 likes
prince philip is the hottest disney prince but yall not ready for that conversation
Ella Kemp (4★) · 2873 likes
Dude she’s asleep for like 20 minutes
ciara (5★) · 2720 likes
the colours and shot compositions in this film are something else... the best classic disney film by far