Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
By S. Jhoanna Robledo,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Creepy but exciting Burton fantasy based on best-seller.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Community Reviews
Based on 70 parent reviews
Too scary, wish we'd given it a miss.
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Super Creepy and Long
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What's the Story?
Directed by Tim Burton, MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN follows teenage Jake's (Asa Butterfield) quest to find the titular Miss Peregrine (Eva Green) on a mysterious Welsh island soon after (possible spoiler alert!) his grandfather's (Terence Stamp) terrible death. When Jake and his father manage to find a way to get to Wales, Jake sets out immediately to find what his grandfather described as Peculiars -- children who have special powers that may not translate well into the real world.
Is It Any Good?
Though it starts out unevenly, this fantasy soon finds its footing, taking viewers on a fascinating ride. Director Tim Burton doesn't pull any punches on the creep factor in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. He layers the visual storytelling with darkness and sadness. Those who aren't familiar with the Ransom Riggs book the movie is based on may not be aware of the ways the film is different, but Burton's version still has plenty for the book's fans to applaud.
One of the gifts of a director like Burton is that he has the vision and imagination needed to create a world that only existed in writing before. In Miss Peregrine, Burton flexes his considerable muscles by building that world and plunging audiences right into the heart of it. As Jake, Butterfield does a great job portraying the earnestness, bravado, and confusion of a teenage boy. And the rest of the cast is also pretty strong, especially Samuel L. Jackson.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence and scariness in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. How do they compare to what you might see in a more traditional action/superhero movie? Which has more of an impact on you? Why?
How do the characters demonstrate courage, curiosity, and integrity? Why are those important character strengths?
Parents don't come off very well in this film; they seem self-absorbed and unaware of their children's true plight. Why is that? How does it affect Jake?
Does the Peculiars' existence feel sad or revolutionary to you? Why does Jake feel the need to look for them? How does finding them impact him?
If you've read the book, how does the movie compare? Which do you like better, and why?
Movie Details
- In theaters: September 30, 2016
- On DVD or streaming: December 13, 2016
- Cast: Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Judi Dench
- Director: Tim Burton
- Inclusion Information: Black actors
- Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Book Characters, Friendship
- Character Strengths: Courage, Curiosity, Integrity
- Run time: 127 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: intense sequences of fantasy action/violence and peril
- Last updated: March 4, 2023
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