Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass
Seen it?2025 | 73 min | Animation, Fantasy, Drama, Horror
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (82% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop and little lasting buzz. 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 anyone who enjoys a story that folds back on itself and anyone who likes life-or-death stakes every episode. Pay attention early: the time-bending pays off later. Same wavelength as The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. Life-and-death stakes, often at a run.
- The mood
- Scary, mind-bending.
- The pace
- Builds dread steadily, at 1 hr 13 min. Done before bedtime.
- What might put you off
- No age rating on record, so check it first for young kids.
- It's in Polish, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Skip it if you can't get past animation (your loss).
Jozef embarks on a journey via a ghostly train to visit his dying father in a remote Galician sanatorium. Upon arrival, he discovers that the sanatorium exists in a realm where time is distorted—his father's death has not yet occurred, as time here lags behind the outside world by an undefined interval. Jozef's experiences become increasingly fragmented and dreamlike as he confronts various manifestations of his father, each representing different aspects of their relationship and his own psyche.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
82% on Rotten Tomatoes, 78 on Metacritic
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerWeak
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 43K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Timothy Quay, Stephen Quay
- Tadeusz JaniszewskiAuctioneer/Narrator (voice)
- Wioletta KopańskaAuctioneer's Assistant/Chambermaid/Adela II (voice)
- Andrzej KłakJozef/Chimney Swiper (voice)
- Leszek BzdylChimney Sweep/Horde (voice)
- Robert MartyniakHorde (voice)
- Łukasz ŁucjanHorde (voice)
- Marek JasekHorde (voice)
- Allison BellAdela I (voice)
- Zenaida YanowskyJ (voice)