Where the Wild Things Are
Where the Wild Things Are is that “rare adaptation that goes deeper, not dumber,” in its translation of a children’s classic, said Michael Phillips in the Chicago Tribune.
Directed by Spike Jonze
(PG)
***
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
An adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s bedtime favorite
Where the Wild Things Are is that “rare adaptation that goes deeper, not dumber,” in its translation of a children’s classic, said Michael Phillips in the Chicago Tribune. Director Spike Jonze has brilliantly captured the “spare wonder” of Maurice Sendak’s beloved 1963 book while staying true to his own singular vision as a filmmaker. Sendak’s 338-word tale about Max—a lonely boy who escapes to a fantasy world populated by an eccentric menagerie of monsters—is essentially plot-free. But Jonze and co-scripter Dave Eggers have cleverly expanded its scope by giving the creatures distinct personalities. Appearances aside, these wild things aren’t that wild, said David Denby in The New Yorker. Meant to evoke various sides of Max’s own psyche and the people in his life, they’re more like “peevish adults,” all with their own issues, who suck the fun out of the film. Not every kids’ film has to be fun, said Mary Pols in Time. This adaptation recognizes something essential about Sendak’s book: “For all its fantastical elements, it’s a work of realism, an exploration of mood and emotion.” Growing up is hard to do, and Jonze’s film understands the complicated inner lives of all kids.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
What should you be stockpiling for 'World War Three'?
In the Spotlight Britons advised to prepare after the EU tells its citizens to have an emergency kit just in case
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
Carnivore diet: why people are eating only meat
The Explainer 'Meatfluencers' are taking social media by storm but experts warn meat-only diets have health consequences
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human blood
Under the radar Drugging the bugs
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published