Wonderstruck

2017 Directed by Todd Haynes

It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.

The story of a young boy in the Midwest is told simultaneously with a tale about a young girl in New York from fifty years ago as they both seek the same mysterious connection.

Oakes Fegley Millicent Simmonds Julianne Moore Michelle Williams Jaden Michael Cory Michael Smith Tom Noonan Amy Hargreaves James Urbaniak Hays Wellford Damian Young Morgan Turner Ekaterina Samsonov Anthony Natale Sawyer Nunes Brian Berrebbi Michael Wren Gucciardo Tom Waters Patrick Murney Connor Moeller Mackenzie Grace Castle Derek Chadwick Raul Torres

Alternative Titles

Sem Fôlego, Kutup Yıldızı, La stanza delle meraviglie, 원더스트럭, El Museo de las Maravillas

drama

115 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by davidehrlich ★★★★½ 9

Todd Haynes’ films, intellectually rigorous and often profoundly moving, are fractured stories in which alienated, beautiful characters try to find love (or a certain likeness) in the delicate folds of real life. All of this is made possible by a cinema in which aesthetics assume religious force, culture exists on a continuum, and art has a memory.
In other words, don’t be fooled that his latest feature is a hyper-faithful adaptation of a half-illustrated children’s novel by “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” author Brian Selznick — “Wonderstruck” is nothing if not a Todd Haynes movie. And it’s an exquisite one, at that. Fresh off the greatest triumph of his career (that would be “Carol”), Haynes is still operating near the peak of his powers, returning to Cannes with an immaculately crafted fable about the ways in which people of all ages learn to break out of their bodies and connect with the world.
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Review by katie ★★★★★ 13

There’s something so undeniably beautiful about this movie. Maybe it’s the way Todd Haynes loves film, and you can feel it in every shot, in every edit, in every line of dialogue. Or maybe it’s the score, carrying the movie in every scene as if it were its own character. Maybe it’s even the kids, who are just that, and make the film seem so child like and wondrous.
But maybe it’s just my brother.
I considered that whenever I first saw this in theaters with my mom. She had to leave in the beginning because the main character Ben reminded her too much of him, but that’s exactly why I stayed. I cried and cried and cried, leaving the…
Review by katie ★★★★★ 11

easily the most beautiful movie I have ever seen, todd haynes resparked my love for the world, film, and all things new york. i’m at a loss for words.
Review by matt lynch ★★★★ 1

Filled with one totem after another, the same songs sung differently by different people. This movie knows how loss can make you feel like you were unworthy of the thing that's gone. Pretty lovely.
Review by SilentDawn ★★ 2

38
I'm happy Todd got this out of his system, because the intent is there, as is the passion and the a-game contributors (Lachman and Burwell are typically exceptional), but Wonderstuck is a colossal misfire, right down to the 'please cry' conclusion. Its material is too adherent to structure, and the film, as a result, is jumbled, lost to scenes which run longer than they should and flat-line the conversation between the two sections. Certainly much to appreciate in terms of performance and Haynes' jagged, pulse-quickening sections of dexterous non-narrative, yet it's constantly running on a treadmill to nowhere, trying to get you all worked up over an unmissable, snore-inducing endgame. Going to be one of those movies where a few poor souls endlessly scream "IT'S UNDERRATED" into a void while the rest of us just keep watching Safe and Carol.
Review by Mike D'Angelo ★★ 1

40/100
I was not. But neither was I struck with wonder watching Hugo, so maybe my beef is with Mr. Selznick and his laborious clockwork narratives (as cinematic source material, that is; they may well work wonderfully on the page). Hugo, at least, wasn't burdened by an expressly literary conceit that proves insanely cumbersome onscreen; you could trim this two-hour film down to 90 or so minutes just by removing all of the many, many instances in which someone speaks to the 1977 kid and he of course says "What?" and then we watch the person write the words down on a notepad, usually while muttering them aloud, and then Haynes still often shows the notepad as the person holds…
Review by Kat ★★★★½ 8

I feel like to say any more would take away from the charm of it so here's all I'll say for now: Wonderstruck is completely magical.
Review by Stevie ★★★★½ 1

That girl gave up everything she had to see Julianne Moore perform live.... boy if that ain't me...
Review by Jonathan Rosenbaum ★★★

Lovely handling of period, clumsy and cumbersome handling of narrative.
Review by Jacob ★★★★½ 4

This is unlike anything I've seen before. It's so heartwarming and emotionally pure, while also maintaining such structural sophistication and aesthetic beauty. This was near hypnotic in the most delightful way. I feel so much love in my heart right now. There are movies that are sweet, and there are movies that fill you with wonder -- that's Wonderstruck.
Rating: 90/100
[Preview screening.]
Review by Sam Van Hallgren ★★★★ 5

I'm pretty sure I would have liked this under any circumstances as it's beautifully structured and scored. But my experience was definitely colored by the fact that my 9 and 6-year-old fell hard for this thing. Maybe because it was just the right combination of straightforward and stylized they were able to stay with the narrative while having their minds gently blown by Haynes' playful experimentalism. They were also just incredibly moved by it - as was I.
Review by Aaron Michael ★★★★

Exceeded my expectations, which is really saying something. With Wonderstruck, Todd Haynes once again proves his unparalleled skill and talent for visual storytelling. I don't feel it's hyperbole to say that Haynes is currently peerless in this area.
I want to show this movie to every single ten year old everywhere. If I had seen this when I was ten, it would've instantly become one of my favorites. It would have made me excited about the power of movies. It perfectly understands and embodies the uninhibited love for life that is so tied to youth.
Naturally, as with any Haynes movie, the technical elements are executed flawlessly. The movie expertly transitions between not one, not two, but three different visual…

Recent reviews

Review by Mateo Ibarra

Enthusiastic and optimistic. I can definitely see why people dislike it and I must agree it's not set to be one of Haynes' most recognized works in the likes of Carol, Safe (which I have not seen) and Far from Heaven. Nonetheless, I found myself crying watching this movie, so it was certainly a sign I was enjoying it. Not only do the two storylines are planned in such a meticulous way, but the way they are filmed it's so beautiful and exudes a visceral love for cinema. What I found most moving was how an act of kindness sheds a light on a seemingly foggy future and how that act of support is returned to someone whom equally needs…
Review by aevin ★★★½

i fell asleep during the middle part but this was a good movie i wouldn't watch it again but i'd recommend it
Review by jonas

- dreimal Space Oddity
- zweimal jeweils Evening Star von Eno & Fripp und eine funky Version von Also Sprach Zarathustra
- ein Oscar Wilde-Zitat am Anfang und ein heulender Jonas am Ende
Scheiße war der schön. Eines Tages möchte ich diesen Film meinen Kindern zeigen.
Review by Eduardo Oliveira

Haynes has, by now, proved himself as a true auteur and master filmmaker. His style is much distinct and special, caring deeply for the cinematography in a way that makes his films visually stunning. The plot, though simple, elicits a modern fairytale quality, with shades of magical realism, and never fails to be moving.
Review by s ★★

2 julianne moore. 2
Review by SUJIN_ ★★★½

실험적인 시도가 묵묵히 빛나는 성장 드라마.
Review by ellen1971 ★

Love Todd Haynes but this one was really boring to watch. Did not get what Todd wanted to tell us with this film...
Review by PACHA 100tos ★★★

Película menor de un director que ya ha dado muestra de su innegable talento. Pero el hecho de que WONDERSTRUCK no figure entre los films más importantes de Haynes, no implica que no se trate de una peli eficaz, visualmente hermosa, realizada con mucho cariño por la novela de Brian Selznick. El relato presenta a dos niños con problemas de audición, de distintas épocas, que viven unos días cruciales en la ciudad de Nueva York. El primer tramo puede resultar algo aburrido, confuso por los saltos de 1977 a 1927, de forma arbitraria; pero, una vez que Ben llega a la Librería Kincaid, este bonito cuento se cierra sobre sí mismo, de forma inteligente y emocionante. La presencia estelar de Julianne Moore, la breve participación de Michelle Williams, y el carisma de sus pequeños protagonistas (Oakes Fegley y Milicent Simmonds) terminan de redondear una buena peli. BUENA
Review by Alchemy ★★½

Me gusta lo creativa que es pero se me hace muy pesada y aburrida.
Review by Stephen Michaels 3

visual exposition and Carter Burwell’s score. The sampled 2001 cue when Julianna Moore reappears got my heart pumping
Review by GreenReviews ★★★★

Probably the best live action children's film ever made that isn't part of a franchise. Todd Haynes direction is superb once again as he creates such a magical tone that really suits a story like this. This film is also a brilliant showcase of using visuals and sound to tell a story. People like to drone on and on about WALL-E for how it uses visual storytelling but films like this do it so much better and with so much more meaning. The score is magnificent as we sink into the headspace of our two central characters. While I was not a huge fan of the switching back and forth from narratives to begin with, I was eventually won over…
Review by linnea ★★★★★

i would let todd haynes murder me in this moment