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Poster for The Red Turtle

The Red Turtle

Seen it?

2016 | 81 min | Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Family

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (93% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for fantasy fans and families. If you loved Beasts of the Southern Wild or The Wild Robot, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Feel-good.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 21 min.
What might put you off
  • Rated PG. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
  • It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

The dialogue-less film follows the major life stages of a castaway on a deserted tropical island populated by turtles, crabs and birds.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 86 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.4 out of 10

  • AwardsSolid

    Won 1 Cannes award: Cannes Film Festival: Outstanding Achievement, Writing in an Animated Feature Production. Also nominated for 1 Oscar and 1 Critics' Choice Award. Plus 3 other awards.

  • Box office & staying powerBelow par

    $7 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactSolid

    About 185K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Michael Dudok de Wit

  • Emmanuel GarijoThe Father (voice)
  • Tom HudsonThe Son as a Young Adult (voice)
  • Baptiste GoyThe Son as a Child (voice)
  • Axel DevillersThe Son as a Baby (voice)
  • Barbara BerettaThe Mother (voice)