The Boxtrolls

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2:25

The Boxtrolls

PG

2014

1h 36m

Kids & Family

Adventure

Comedy

Fantasy

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

78%

Tomatometer

173 Reviews

63%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Eggs (Isaac Hempstead-Wright), an orphan, lives with the Boxtrolls -- a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who inhabit a cavern beneath the city of Cheesebridge. When villainous Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley) hatches a plan to get rid of the pretty harmless beings, Eggs decides to go above ground, where he meets and befriends feisty Winnifred (Elle Fanning). Together, Eggs and Winnifred devise a daring plan to save the Boxtrolls from extermination.

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Critics Consensus

While it's far from Laika's best offering, The Boxtrolls is still packed with enough offbeat wit and visual splendor to offer a healthy dose of all-ages entertainment.

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David Ehrlich

Complex

Sep 27, 2014

4/5

The antidote to the modern animated movie.

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David Stratton

At the Movies (Australia)

Sep 26, 2014

3.5/5

This kind of stop-motion animation (wittily demonstrated during the end credits) results in wonderfully detailed characters and action.

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Lisa Kennedy

Denver Post

Sep 26, 2014

There are many more delighted 'Ewwws' than too-easy 'Awws' in this charming, if a tad cynical, feature from the creators of Coraline and ParaNorman.

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Allison Rose

FlickDirect

Feb 28, 2023

4/5

This Laika Studios/Shout! Factory collaboration delivers a well-crafted product that exceeds expectations.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Jul 18, 2022

3.5/4

The Boxtrolls contains so much charm in its squalor, so much joy in its decrepitude, that the black humor and beautiful animation cannot help but leave an audience delighted.

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Cory Woodroof

Williamson Home Page

Feb 11, 2022

If there's anything The Boxtrolls isn't lacking in, its confidence.

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Abram H

@RT50098228 1 day ago

It was a good movie just the ending wasn’t my favorite.

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wesley B

@RT87541347 Aug 15, 2026

I loved the movie and how it showed reasons for the Boxtrolls being aka *monsters*. I also like the designs they used for the Boxtrolls. Tho I would say that if the movie would be remade or fixed the way the Boxtrolls talk looks iffy other than that in my opinion the movie was my absolute favorite out of the laika movies.

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diogo13 T

@Tua_mera Jul 13, 2026

A visual feat with a conventional narrative. The Boxtrolls shines thanks to Studio Laika's grotesque yet detailed stop-motion animation. However, the film drags due to a predictable "misunderstood monsters" script and an overly bizarre tone that undermines the characters' charm. It is visually stunning but narratively lackluster.

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Arturo P

@RT69665316 Jun 26, 2026

This movie is strange, and I just couldn't connect with either the characters or the world. I dislike when the humor is forced. It's visually beautiful, though.

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Gabe F.

@GreatGabrielFonteles2002 Oct 25, 2025

Good and great and amazing

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Madison B

@RT07734533 Oct 23, 2025

Can’t say it was horrible I mean Ive seen worse but for Laika studios I feel like this was their least favorable.. I found this movie to be quite bland, & tbh a lil disgusting literally had to like skip a few parts suggest not to watch this while eating.. overall the characters were not memorable mostly one dimensional which is disappointing..regardless I still always will enjoy the stop motion aspect of the film Id say its still worth a watch u might like it..very much an Acquired like

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Anthony Stacchi

Director

Graham Annable

Director

Isaac Hempstead-Wright

Eggs

Elle Fanning

Winnie

Ben Kingsley

Archibald Snatcher

Toni Collette

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Synopsis

Eggs (Isaac Hempstead-Wright), an orphan, lives with the Boxtrolls -- a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who inhabit a cavern beneath the city of Cheesebridge. When villainous Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley) hatches a plan to get rid of the pretty harmless beings, Eggs decides to go above ground, where he meets and befriends feisty Winnifred (Elle Fanning). Together, Eggs and Winnifred devise a daring plan to save the Boxtrolls from extermination.

Director: Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable
Producer: David Bleiman Ichioka, Travis Knight
Screenwriter: Irena Brignull, Adam Pava
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Co: Laika
Rating: PG (Mild Rude Humor|Action|Some Peril)
Genre: Kids & Family, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 26, 2014, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 21, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $50.8M
Runtime: 1h 36m

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