“If you love stories about families that stick together and love each other through thick and thin and it all ends happily ever after… this isn’t the film for you, okay?”
Despite the opening line in the newly released Netflix movie, “The Willoughbys,” the film is a heartwarming and charming tale perfect for a family movie night.
The movie features a family with flaws like many others. The animated film is based on a children’s book by Lois Lowry, an American writer.
The cast was made up of multiple well-known actors including Canadian singer-songwriter, Alessia Cara, and former football player and actor Terry Crews.
The film follows the Willoughby household, an old-fashioned family living in a modern society. The Willoughby parents are neglectful to their children and their “childish needs” and much too involved in their romance.
There are four children in the family, including Tim, Jane, and twin boys who are both named Barnaby. Due to the carelessness of their parents, the Willoughby children decided to “orphan themselves” by sending their parents on a dangerous trip around the world.
Little did the kids know, their parents had sent a nanny to take care of them while they were gone. While Jane and the twins warmed up to the nanny quickly, Tim felt that he should be in charge and was hesitant to trust her. Tim’s overprotectiveness of his brothers and sister made this movie that much better as it stressed the importance of companionship.
Throughout its entirety, the movie also features openly dark humor, which was surprising to see in a movie angled towards children, but made me laugh nonetheless. The film had a clever and lively script with witty humor.
Of course, like many movies, there were awkward moments that left me cringing and slightly uncomfortable, such as the weird interactions between the mother and father. There were also a couple of characters who seemed to fade in and out throughout the movie and made me question what their purpose was.
Despite this, “The Willoughbys” was a heartfelt story that taught us that we should not give up on ourselves or our family, no matter how tough things are. Although there were some slightly uncomfortable scenes, it was a cute and sweet movie that was worth the watch.
[star rating=”4″]
