Where the Wild Things Are

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Where the Wild Things Are

PG

2009

1h 41m

Kids & Family

Fantasy

Adventure

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

73%

Tomatometer

267 Reviews

57%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Feeling misunderstood at home and at school, mischievous Max (Max Records) escapes to the land of the Wild Things, majestic -- and sometimes fierce -- creatures. They allow Max to become their leader, and he promises to create a kingdom where everyone will be happy. However, Max soon finds that being king is not easy and that, even being with the Wild Things, there is something missing.

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Critics Consensus

Some may find its dark tone and slender narrative off-putting, but Spike Jonze's heartfelt adaptation of the classic children's book is as beautiful as it is uncompromising.

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Alissa Wilkinson

Vox

09/25/2018

It's a quiet reminder of the power of scary-ish stories, and it's made with warmth, humor, and wisdom.

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

08/30/2018

It is bewildering but not in an emotionally complex or troublesome way. It's bewildering in a narratively confused, narratively lost, we-never-figured-out-what-we-wanted-all-this-extra-stuff-to-add-up-to sort of way.

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Ed Koch

The Atlantic

01/17/2018

The minus I give this children's story pains me...If I had seen this film when I was eight, I would have been terrified.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Feb 16

2.5/4

The end result isn’t a bastardization of the literary classic, but neither is it a further canonization of the acclaimed source.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

08/30/2023

4/4

In Where the Wild Things Are, Spike Jonze’s masterful translation of Maurice Sendak’s beloved book, the pains, and uncertainties of growing up find a deeply personal home.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

08/19/2023

It’s as honest a tale of being a child as you’ll find on screen, with all of the fantasy and reality and joy and anxiety of childhood grounded in the imagery and the landscapes of a tyke’s mind.

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Senan long L

@Senybear 1d

Wierd movie and the whole plot is just bull

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Guhanand P.

@gsp1960 6d

I would have rated it 4 or even 5 stars if it had been rated R, and had been meant for adults about disturbed children. This is honestly not really a film kids need to watch, however well-made it is.

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Tamara R

@Rose84 Feb 4

Not a good movie. Don't waist your time. The Boy has some major issues and the movie is boring and has no story to it. Not worth it if you ask me.

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Shilo Y.

@Shilo Jan 30

I remember watching it as a child, but I don’t even know if I ever liked it.

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Hallie / i

@hallierunner Jan 24

watched this movie 10000 times as a kid. something about it hooked me and i just rewatched it again after years. it reminds me of how i often would experience maladaptive daydreaming as a kid and still do. something about the movie is missing clarity, some bits just.. missing but overall, i personally couldnt stop watching it because it feels like my worldview and how i experience the world, maybe in an overtly ignorant, innocent and barbaric way. i don’t know how to describe it, but this movie is the only one that portrayed my perspective

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Ryan C

@RareOpinionGuy Jan 22

I saw this years ago in the theater with my daughter, thought it was ok then. She is grown now. Rewatched (2026). Karen O. played on a playlist, and I was reminded, this movie exists. There is so much here. You're not getting "Horton Hears a Who". You're getting something representing all aspects of Max, and probably parts of many of us. Whatever, I liked it, enjoy it, or not, and turn it off. LOL.

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Synopsis

Feeling misunderstood at home and at school, mischievous Max (Max Records) escapes to the land of the Wild Things, majestic -- and sometimes fierce -- creatures. They allow Max to become their leader, and he promises to create a kingdom where everyone will be happy. However, Max soon finds that being king is not easy and that, even being with the Wild Things, there is something missing.

Director: Spike Jonze
Producer: Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, Maurice Sendak, John B. Carls, Vincent Landay
Screenwriter: Spike Jonze, Dave Eggers
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Playtone Productions, Wild Things
Rating: PG (Brief Language|Adventure Action|Mild Thematic Elements)
Genre: Kids & Family, Fantasy, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 16, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $77.2M
Runtime: 1h 41m

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