#willoughbys

I thought of reviving this blog somehow and since animation and anything related to it is one of my main passions I decided to go back to my roots. 

How? 

By reviewing this gem of a movie: 

Based on the book of the same name by American author Lois Lowry it tells the story of four siblings living in a family where parental love is totally absent. The parents choosing instead to focus entirely on themselves to the point of neglecting and abusing their own children who they perceive as getting in the way of their love. 

I just want to say this before I see it anywhere else but these characters seem almost like the opposite version of the Addams family. 

You must be looking at this review like: 

But hear me out. 

In the Addams family the family is actually a very loving and caring one. Sure they have this dark humour about them and their wacky antics makes them seem weird but deep down the Addams family is a story about these people being happy as themselves, loving each other and having a wonderful, close family. Morticia and Gomez love each other dearly but they don’t focus only on themselves they show care and love for their children and extended family as well. 

In Willoughbys it’s the exact opposite. We still have the family who lives in a weird, old fashioned house, and we still have the mom and dad loving each other and being very attached to each other and having pet name and all that (a la Moriticia and Gomez) but the family is not close at all. They don’t care for their children, not even if they have anything to eat or not. 

In my opinion this is a very interesting reversal of roles and subversion of expectations as well. Because when the movie begins and until we get deeper into the parents’ characters you are tempted to think it might go in that direction. 

Which brings me to my main point. I love how this movie subverts every damn expectation you might have. Just tosses them out the window like nothing. 

You expect the parents to be loving? 

NAH. 

You expect the big buff character who lives alone to be mean and the hidden villain? 

NAH. 

You expect the ”villain” to be evil for the sake of evil.

NAH

You expect people in this world to not like the Willoughbys and treated them as if they are weird and out of place much like the Addams family. 

NAH

You expect a character to have a 360 degree change of heart in the third act of the movie

NAH 

And I could go on and on. 

It’s also a movie that teaches some valuable lessons about abuse, neglect, toxic and abusive parents, healthy parents, healthy/toxic families, different types of families and that a family does not necessarily mean mom/dad and kids it can mean different things (even if said things play the role of a mother or a father).  It also talks about how you shouldn’t want to be part of your abusive/toxic family just because it’s your family and that you can find love in other places as well and in other people. 

Other things I liked were the character designs, the environments the characters found themselves in, the world in general, the humour which while not super deep was good when it needed to be. The voice acting was really good and it’s obvious the actors enjoyed their roles. 

The animation was also top notch and it has something about it that at points you’re convinced you might be watching a stop motion movie. Or maybe it was just me. 

P.S. Can i get Ricky Gervais to narrate my life as it happens? Thanks. 

There’s a ton to like about this movie and with Klaus already under their belt Netflix is looking at a bright future with animated movies. 

2020 movies I’ve seen so far: