Movie · 2014 · Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy · 1h 37m · PG · English
Curator score: 4.0/10 (186.5K ratings)
Heroes come in all shapes and sizes... even rectangles.
Overview
An orphaned boy raised by underground creatures called Boxtrolls comes up from the sewers and out of his box to save his family and the town from the evil exterminator, Archibald Snatcher.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.0/10
IMDb: 6.8/10
Letterboxd: 3.33/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
Metacritic: 61
TMDB: 6.7/10
Director
Graham Annable, Anthony Stacchi
Production
LAIKA
Cast
Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Elle Fanning, Dee Bradley Baker, Toni Collette, Jared Harris, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, Tracy Morgan, Simon Pegg, Nika Futterman, Pat Fraley, Fred Tatasciore, Maurice LaMarche, James Urbaniak, Brian George, Lori Tritel, Steve Blum, Laraine Newman, Max Mitchell
Curator Review
Verdict
A gorgeously odd stop-motion adventure with real visual invention, a sweet outsider heart, and sharper satire than its family-friendly packaging suggests. It’s not as emotionally devastating as Laika’s very best, but it’s imaginative, funny, and distinctive enough to stand out.
Best for
fans of stop-motion animation
viewers who like spooky-but-playful family films
people who enjoy satire about class and social panic
kids and adults who want a weird, handcrafted fantasy
Skip if
you want a straightforward, brightly polished kids movie
you dislike gross-out humor or creepy creature design
you prefer emotional depth over whimsical worldbuilding
Overview
The Boxtrolls is one of those animated films that feels handmade in the best possible way: lumpy, tactile, a little grotesque, and full of personality. Laika leans into the oddness of its underground world, turning boxes, sewers, and machinery into a setting that’s both funny and slightly unsettling. That texture gives the movie a charm that slicker studio animation rarely matches.
Worth noting
Beneath the eccentric surface is a fairly pointed story about fearmongering, class anxiety, and how communities can be manipulated by a loud, self-serving elite. The satire is broad, but it lands, and the film’s affection for misfits gives it warmth. The humor can be delightfully gross, and the villain is memorably ridiculous in a way that suits the movie’s tone.
Bottom line
It doesn’t quite have the emotional precision or haunting power of Laika’s very best work, but it remains a highly inventive family fantasy with a strong visual identity. If you like your children’s movies a little weirder, a little darker, and a lot more handmade, this is easy to recommend.
Top Letterboxd reviews
˗ˏˋ suspirliam ˊˎ˗ (4★) · 1244 likes
why do all of laika’s white boy leads highkey look like timothée chalamet??? laika EXPLAIN
olivia ✨ (3★) · 1232 likes
what lactose intolerance does to a mf
Jade talks too much🎅🏻🎄 (5★) · 676 likes
“Did they drag you down to their hideous caves? Were there mountains of baby bones and rivers of blood? Did they eat your family? Did they let you watch?”😈
Winnie is the cutest lil depraved weirdo ever & this movie is a Laika’s true masterpiece📦🧌.
I gotta love a movie that hates the government this much🔥.
Jonah Who (4★) · 497 likes
an amusing commentary about the absurdity of class-defining societal constructs. and yet i’d love to be the mayor in a cheese-based society.
Jade talks too much🎅🏻🎄 (5★) · 346 likes
If you think this is one of LAIKA’s worst movies then cleary you support fascist governments & the super rich😡. I hope you never get to enjoy the taste of cheese ever again!🧀🤭
It’s just so damn creative & clever & gorgeously ugly🤩. My words could never do it justice but it’s a masterpiece & I love it so much.🧌📦🧀🎩🏴
Winnie is the best character and a delightful lunatic.👊🏻👩🏻🦰