Movie · 2009 · Fantasy, Drama, Adventure, Family · 1h 41m · PG · English
Curator score: 5.4/10 (327K ratings)
There's one in all of us.
Overview
Max imagines running away from his mom and sailing to a far-off land where large talking beasts—Ira, Carol, Douglas, the Bull, Judith and Alexander—crown him as their king, play rumpus, build forts and discover secret hideaways.
Ratings
Curator score: 5.4/10
IMDb: 6.7/10
Letterboxd: 3.54/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
Metacritic: 71
TMDB: 6.5/10
Director
Spike Jonze
Production
Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, Playtone, KLG Film Invest, Wild Things Productions
Cast
Max Records, Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Lauren Ambrose, Catherine O'Hara, Forest Whitaker, Chris Cooper, Paul Dano, Spike Jonze, Pepita Emmerichs, Mark Ruffalo, Max Pfeifer, Madeleine Greaves, Joshua Jay, Ryan Corr, Steve Mouzakis, Michael Berry Jr., Vincent Crowley, Sonny Gerasimowicz, Nick Farnell
Where to watch
fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential
Curator Review
Verdict
A haunting, deeply felt fantasy about childhood anger, loneliness, and the messy need to be loved. It’s less a conventional adventure than an emotional state rendered as a wild, tactile dream, with striking creature design and a surprisingly bruised heart.
Best for
Viewers who like melancholy fantasy with real emotional bite
Fans of childhood stories that treat imagination as complicated rather than cute
People drawn to sensory, artful filmmaking and practical creature work
Anyone interested in films about family tension, loneliness, and growing up
Skip if
You want a light, cheerful kids’ fantasy
You prefer plot-heavy worldbuilding over mood and emotion
You’re put off by films that are intentionally abrasive or sad
You expect a faithful, cozy adaptation of the picture book
Overview
Spike Jonze turns a beloved children’s book into something raw, strange, and unexpectedly sad. The film captures the feral logic of being a child: the urge to bolt, the fantasy of being in charge, and the crushing realization that feelings do not obey commands. Max Records gives the story a wounded, believable center, and the Wild Things feel like projections of need as much as monsters.
Worth noting
What makes the film linger is its tone. It is playful, but never merely playful; the rumpus is shadowed by hurt, and the island’s freedom keeps curdling into disappointment. The creature work and naturalistic performances give the fantasy a handmade intimacy, while the cinematography and music lean into autumnal melancholy.
Bottom line
This is a film for viewers who like their fantasy emotionally honest. It can be frustrating if you want a breezy adventure, but if you respond to stories about childhood loneliness, family fracture, and the terror of growing up, it lands with unusual force.
Top Letterboxd reviews
DirkH (5★) · 7263 likes
Today my four year old son got his first Lego set. It was an Arctic Explorer's snow mobile.
With eager anticipation we opened the package together and spread out all the pieces. My annoying adult instincts immediately took over, making me reach for the instructions.
So we started building and after correcting him three times he said: 'Dad, I want to build it'. I looked at him, saw the ten million possibilities in his eyes that weren't in the instructions… more
#1 gizmo fan (5★) · 4187 likes
There's so much of you in this.
I see you everywhere. In Max's anger and frustration, in his wonder and imagination. The undeniable loneliness we both felt through our parents divorce. I know you hated this movie cause it scared you, but I find comfort in the fact that it's you. When I can't run up to you and hug you and say sorry for the lost nights, I can find you here.
I miss you more than ever but I feel you more than ever.
Framesofnick (5★) · 3787 likes
I’ll never be able to accurately describe how this movie makes me feel and that’s okay
Dan (3.5★) · 1796 likes
Somehow Paul Dano gets his ass beat even as a big goat thing
Framesofnick (5★) · 1239 likes
HOW COULD GUYS LIKE US WORRY ABOUT A TINY LITTLE THING LIKE THE SUN
Was fortunate enough to rewatch this in 35mm today with a coloring book page of Carol in front of me that my partner took the liberty of filling in.
I’ve said in the past that this movie gives me feelings I’ll never be able to describe but I think as time goes on I can finally put those into words for myself
Where the wild things… more
1986 · Adventure, Family, Fantasy · 1h 41m · PG · Curator 6.1/10 (643.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Hulu, fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Night Flight Plus, Netflix Standard with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus
A theatrical, emotionally charged fantasy with a child navigating a strange world of desire and frustration.