Common Sense Media Review
By Tom Cassidy
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Light British mystery has some violence and ghostly scenes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In MISS WILLOUGHBY AND THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP, a shop owner starts to have visions of her dead father. Adventure-loving teacher Miss Willoughby (Nathalie Cox) is drawn to the mystery and together with her friend, Robert Windsor (Kelsey Grammer), investigates the ghostly goings on and uncovers a conspiracy at the heart of a book club.
Is It Any Good?
The story of a rich White woman's mini adventure in a genteel fairy tale town feels like a British direct descendant of the shiny, unrealistic tradition of Hallmark Channel movies. Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop delivers a predictable but serviceable mystery. Undemanding but not unsatisfying, its story of a seemingly haunted bookshop is easy to settle into and deliberately obvious clues are dropped along the way. Miss any? Don't worry, there's a handy recap with flashbacks at the end as the entire mystery is explained.
Cox is suitably plucky as the wealthy orphan turned mystery solver and Grammer brings comfort and calm to his role as her surrogate father figure, Robert Windsor. Even with its mild violence, it's a big, fluffy cake of a movie, designed to be nibbled on a sleepy Sunday afternoon. But a nasty aftertaste comes with the lack of diversity. Miss Willoughby's world is almost entirely White, not reflecting the reality of 21st-century Britain. The movie plays to a certain type of person's fairy tale, making this aspect particularly troubling.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the peril and supernatural elements in Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop. Did you find any scenes scary? Did you feel scared after the movie had finished? How much scary stuff can kids handle?
Who showed curiosity, perseverance, and teamwork? Why do you think these are important character strengths? Can you think of any times when you've shown these traits?
Robert makes sure Elizabeth works on both her physical and mental health as a young person. How did her training help her later in life?
Talk about suggestibility. Have you ever felt like you've sensed anything supernatural? What factors do you think make people more likely to think they're sensing a presence?
Miss Willoughby is extremely wealthy and the movie lacked any real diversity. Did you find this problematic? Why does representation matter in kids' media?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : February 8, 2023
- Cast : Nathalie Cox , Kelsey Grammer , Tara Fitzgerald
- Director : Brad Watson
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate Home Entertainment
- Genre : Thriller
- Topics : Fantasy
- Character Strengths : Curiosity , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence, thematic material, scary images and brief language
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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