Movie: The Magic Faraway Tree (2026)
Directed by: Ben Gregor
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Nonso Anozie, Nicola Coughlan
Review by: Kirk Dulin
Review Type: SPOILER FREE

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No one really wants to grow up. Except sociopaths. And maybe kids waiting on a trust fund to be fully accessible. 

One of the most heartbreaking quotes about growing up I’ve ever heard comes from Finding Neverland:

“Young boys should never be sent to bed. They always wake up a day older, and then before you know it, they’re grown.” 

Grab the tissues and come back for The Magic Faraway Tree Spoiler Free Review.

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FIRST CRUNCH

This story begins back in 1939, when author Enid Blyton published the first book in its series: The Enchanted Wood. In its premier of the characters that audiences would grow to love, the characters meet our whimsical characters of the enchanted forest like Moonface (Nonso Anozie), Silky the fairy (Nicola Coughlan), and the Saucepan man (Dustin Demri-Burns). 

There would be 3 more books in the core of this series written and released in rapid and impressive publication:

• The Magic Faraway Tree (1943)
• The Folk of the Faraway Tree (1946)
• Up the Faraway tree (1951)

So which story does our feature film tell? A little glimpse into the overall world, beginning with the family’s move from modern civilization to the countryside, challenging the Thompson kids and parents alike to adapt to unfortunate employment circumstances. As the parents face a layoff, the kids face a complete separation from society, and are challenged to find joy in the messiness of their new paths.

Thankfully, the countryside is located next to an enchanted forest. 

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LET THE MAGIC BEGIN

I’ve always felt that while the distro and producing credits run at the open of a film, the sound design OR cinematography is critical. Whether it is a faint humming noise that the audience begins to imagine what is about to be revealed in the dark of a theatre OR an immediate beautiful landscape of a far off place nested in silence, the director must capture a visual or audio identity to hook the audience. Thankfully, director, Ben Gregor, comes out of the blocks at the perfect speed. 

There’s a short narrative monologue at the top of this film that I won’t spoil, but it almost brought me to tears. It’s concise, and cuts straight to the notion of losing your imagination from childhood to adulthood.

The creative team is super intentional about making the reality and the enchanted woods BOTH vibrant through different vibrant color palettes, camera movements, and character movements. A less creative director would lean on the antitheses of these worlds and make the family home bleak, gray, or a neutral pastels of sorts. Knowing the heart of the family, though, the choice to see LIFE in the real and fantasy worlds makes for seamless transitions in visual tone.

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MEET THE FAMILY

I thoroughly enjoyed the family dynamic in The Magic Faraway Tree. To set up a family dynamic, I find it best to invite the audience in as a family member. Put them right in the middle of a family’s chaotic morning routine, or give us a seat next to them on a train. This helps us see – literally – eye to eye with them and follow their perspective immediately. 

Andrew Garfield as a father figure worried me from the trailer, what with his boyish face and luscious locks of hair. Having never read the books, however, I was placed at a disadvantage, and thankfully so. Garfield taps into his super power – wearing his emotions on his sleeves. And we are invited to see how he cares for each of his three children in their own way, and injecting relentless and explosive joy into all of their paths even in adversity.

Claire Foy is the perfect partner to balance Garfield, and not in the way you think. Again, it would be easy for the writers and director to create the antithetic foil to Garfield’s character, based in reason and fear. Instead, she is infected by Garfield’s love and joy in her discernment, and trusts that their journey to the countryside will reap a bountiful harvest and future for their family. Her care for the children shines through as well in playful moments unison support of her and her husband’s longshot dream of building a tomato sauce empire. 

And what about the kids? In this fantasy transportation story, familiar yet differential enough to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe kids, the casting of the kids is a critical piece to the storytelling success.

Watch out for ALL THREE of them in the future. The camera gives them big moments throughout the full runtime of the tale, and they stick the landing on each of their plot points to move the story forward. It’s especially impressive to see them go toe-to-toe with Oscar and Emmy nominees Garfield and Foy. 

For the book enthusiasts, I’m confident you’ll appreciate how these young actors shaped your nostalgic love for these kids :

• Fran (formerly Fanny): Billie Gadson
• Beth (formerly Bessie): Delilah Bennett-Cardy
• Joe (formerly Jo): Phoenix Laroche

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WORLD BUILDING

I can always sincerely appreciate a designer’s world that they build, especially when it feels like a real place. So often, modern creatives – or at the behest of the studio – rely heavily on CGI to land real life actors into a space, which usually diminishes the actors’ ability to connect with the intended atmosphere of the location or with their scene partner. When your cast has different ideas of what the finished product may be drawn like, their objectives and focal points are amiss, which subconsciously fails both them and the audience on the suspension of disbelief. 

In The Magic Faraway Tree, however, the balance of practical and CGI is a beautiful mix. At times you’ll feel like Charlie in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Other times, you may feel like Harry Potter in the Chamber of Secrets. And at one point, I felt like Alice…in Wonderland.

What never loses momentum is the strength in each “upper world” the kids journey to help process and solve their plight of life’s challenges.

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LAST LOOKS

As the book series is an episodic structure, we feel this in the middle of the film. The inciting incident, their reaction and choices that follow are very strong. The discovery of the enchanted forest is beautiful, and we are hooked for a long time. The story could’ve used some tightening on one side quest in particular that lasts way too long in my opinion. Perhaps this aside to the main story is a beloved section in one of the books. In the premiere film – of which I WOULD love a sequel – this story section feels forced to bring levity to a script that already juggles drama and comedy quite well.

The script also leans into absurd comedy in the best ways. If you can successfully pull off absurd, you have my attention. I salute the entire cast for seeing the vision, and executing at excellent comedic acuity.

I can’t wait to show my kids this film, and enjoy the magic that it endures together!

Score: 7.0/10 kernels
Review By: Kirk Dulin

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The Magic Faraway Tree releases in theatres on August 21, 2026.