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movie review - Nightbooks

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

For "movie night" we watched a film about a kid who likes to write scary movies. For reasons that aren't entirely clear at the outset of the movie he flees his home and winds up the prisoner of a witch. The rest of the movie focuses on the boy's attempts at deciphering the bizarre situation in the witch's home and trying to escape. We enjoyed the story, which explores not just the what but the why of the tiny cast. Our nine-year-old found it necessary to squeeze between Mari and me on the sofa at one point but it wasn't truly scary. It has that Netflix "made for TV" feel, but it works. The witch is played by an actress who typically plays entirely heavier roles and it was good to see her doing something substantially goofier.

Recommended.