Will Forte
Tim Willoughby (voice)
The Willoughbys
“A family story for anyone who ever wanted to get away from their family”
2020
1h 32m
Director: Kris Pearn
Overview
When the four Willoughby children are abandoned by their selfish parents, they must learn how to adapt their Old-Fashioned values to the contemporary world in order to create something new: The Modern Family.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
5 min readThe Willoughbys, or How to Sugarcoat a Dark Fairy Tale
I’ll admit it: I wasn’t prepared for The Willoughbys to be this strange. Not the good kind of strange—the kind that lingers in your teeth like too much candy, sweet but with an aftertaste you can’t quite place. It’s a film that looks like a children’s storybook come to life, all pastel houses and yarn-haired children, and yet its heart is a macabre little thing, beating with the kind of dark humor that feels more Roald Dahl than Disney.
The Willoughby children, you see, don’t just wish their parents would disappear. They make them disappear. And the film, for all its bright colors and bouncy musical numbers, never flinches from that.
Kris Pearn, the director, has a knack for this kind of tonal tightrope. His previous film, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, was a riot of food-based chaos, but The Willoughbys feels like a step into something more personal. It’s not just that the film is adapted from Lois Lowry’s 2008 children’s book—it’s that Pearn and his team have taken Lowry’s premise and run with it, turning what could have been a simple morality tale into something far more interesting: a story about the stories we tell ourselves to survive.
The Willoughby children, raised in a mansion that’s as cold and empty as their parents’ affections, cling to the idea of an "Old-Fashioned Family," a myth they’ve constructed from the fragments of their parents’ neglect. Their parents, meanwhile, are cartoonish villains in the truest sense—self-absorbed, vain, and utterly incapable of love. Martin Short and Jane Krakowski play them with a kind of gleeful awfulness, their performances so exaggerated they loop back around to being weirdly charming.
(Krakowski, in particular, seems to be having the time of her life, her mother character’s hair defying gravity in ways that feel like a metaphor for the entire film.)
The animation style is where The Willoughbys really shines. The film uses CG to mimic stop-motion, giving everything a tactile, handmade quality. The grass looks like french fries, the hair like yarn, and the depth of field is so pronounced it feels like you could reach into the screen and pluck the characters out.
Audience Opinions
Audience 6.8/10
"A charming but uneven animated adventure with quirky humor and visual flair, though its story struggles to fully engage."
The film’s distinctive animation style and witty voice cast, particularly Ricky Gervais and Maya Rudolph, earn praise for bringing energy and humor to the tale. However, the plot’s predictability and occasional pacing issues leave some viewers wishing for more depth and originality in its storytelling.
What viewers praise
- Unique animation style The film’s retro-inspired visuals and vibrant color palette stand out, giving it a distinct and appealing look.
- Strong voice performances The cast, especially Ricky Gervais and Maya Rudolph, deliver lively and entertaining performances that add charm to the characters.
- Quirky humor The movie’s offbeat and dry humor resonates with many, offering a refreshing take on family-friendly comedy.
- Catchy soundtrack Alessia Cara’s musical contributions and the film’s original score are frequently highlighted as memorable and enjoyable.
Common complaints
- Predictable plot The story follows familiar tropes, making it feel unoriginal and less engaging for some viewers.
- Pacing issues The film’s rhythm occasionally drags, with some scenes feeling unnecessary or slow.
- Underdeveloped characters While the leads shine, some supporting characters lack depth, leaving their arcs feeling incomplete.
- Mixed emotional impact The balance between humor and heartfelt moments doesn’t always land, leaving some viewers emotionally disconnected.
Recommended for
Fans of quirky animated films Lovers of dry humor Families seeking lighthearted entertainment Ricky Gervais enthusiasts Alessia Cara music fans Retro animation style admirers
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of The Willoughbys: Netflix’s Quirky Animated Family
The Willoughbys (2020) brought a darkly comedic twist to family-friendly animation, blending Roald Dahl-esque whimsy with modern voice talent. Directed by Kris Pearn, the Netflix film follows four siblings plotting to rid themselves of their neglectful parents—only to discover the meaning of family in the process. latestnetflix.com's view is that while the movie’s offbeat charm won over some audiences, its behind-the-scenes stories reveal a mix of creative risks, unexpected casting, and a soundtrack that nearly stole the show.
From Book to Screen: Kris Pearn’s Vision
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuvpgVsZCy4
Adapting Lois Lowry’s 2008 novel, director Kris Pearn faced the challenge of translating its macabre humor into a visual medium. In a Netflix interview, Pearn described the process as a balancing act: keeping the book’s "dark, twisted" tone while making it palatable for younger viewers . The film’s distinctive animation style—inspired by 1960s UPA cartoons—was a deliberate choice to contrast with the sugary aesthetics of mainstream kids’ movies. Pearn and co-directors Cory Evans and Rob Lodermeier aimed for a "handcrafted" look, avoiding the hyper-realism of Disney or Pixar 
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnOaN5vhCG8
The script’s dark humor didn’t faze the cast. Will Forte, who voiced Tim Willoughby, praised the film’s subversive edge, calling it "a kids’ movie for people who don’t like kids’ movies" . Maya Rudolph, who played the nanny Linda, echoed the sentiment, noting how the story’s themes of neglect and resilience resonated with her .
Casting Surprises and Breakout Roles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne51PAh8iQE
The Willoughbys marked a rare foray into voice acting for pop star Alessia Cara, who voiced Jane Willoughby. Cara revealed in an interview that she landed the role after sending in an audition tape—her first ever—while on tour . Her inexperience didn’t show; her performance, particularly the film’s original song "I Choose," became a standout moment. The soundtrack, composed by Mark Mothersbaugh (of Rugrats fame), leaned into retro jazz and orchestral quirk, earning praise as one of the year’s most underrated OSTs .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSvmaLQtvz4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l1-h0B0L5Y
The ensemble cast also included Ricky Gervais as the omniscient narrator, a role that let him flex his signature sarcasm. Gervais’ dry delivery provided a meta-commentary on the siblings’ misadventures, though some critics argued it occasionally overshadowed the story . Meanwhile, Terry Crews brought his trademark energy to the role of Commander Melanoff, a candy magnate with a heart of gold, while Jane Krakowski and Martin Short hammed it up as the villainous parents .
Mixed Reception and Missed Opportunities
Despite its star power and visual creativity, The Willoughbys received lukewarm reviews. Critics praised its ambition but found the humor uneven, with some gags falling flat . On SensCritique, the film holds a modest 5.9/10 rating, with viewers divided over its tonal shifts . The Rotten Tomatoes consensus called it "visually inventive but narratively overstuffed," a fair assessment of its hit-or-miss execution .
Still, the film’s cult appeal endures, thanks in part to its unique aesthetic and Cara’s musical contributions. Behind the scenes, the production was a labor of love for Pearn, who fought to preserve the book’s darkly comedic spirit. Whether The Willoughbys will get a second life—perhaps as a franchise—remains unconfirmed, but its offbeat charm ensures it won’t be forgotten quickly.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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