Overview
A heartwarming tale of friendship that transcends species and adversity.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- earnest
- heartwarming
- gentle
- family movie night
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film to be a beautifully made, sincere, and crowd-pleasing family adventure whose emotional impact comes from its earnest animal-human friendship.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The rescued penguin’s bond with João helps transform the heartbroken fisherman’s life.
The film uses a sweet, old-fashioned, snark-free approach designed to earn an emotional response.
The film is inspired by a true story involving a rescued penguin and the fisherman who befriends him.
The penguin is found after surviving an oil spill, making animal rescue and environmental damage central to the premise.
Films like My Penguin Friend, and why
Dolphin Tale
Heartwarming animal-human friendship, family adventure, and earnest emotional storytelling.
A Dog's Purpose
True-story animal rescue, gentle family drama, and an uplifting human-animal bond.
Free Willy
Crowd-pleasing children’s adventure centered on an unusual animal companion and emotional healing.
The Black Stallion
Old-fashioned family filmmaking, environmental concern, and restorative friendship with an animal.
Movie Details
- Director
- David Schurmann
- Release Date
- 2024-08-07
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (200)
Cast
- Jean Reno
- Adriana Barraza
- Nicolás Francella
- Alexia Moyano
- Rocío Hernández
- Ravel Cabral
- Pedro Caetano
- Amanda Magalhães
- Juan Queiroz
- Wilson Rabelo
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Hulu
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is My Penguin Friend about?
- A grieving fisherman finds renewed purpose through an extraordinary friendship with a penguin rescued from an oil spill.
- What is My Penguin Friend like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of My Penguin Friend as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is My Penguin Friend violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in My Penguin Friend.
- What did critics think of My Penguin Friend?
- Critics broadly found the film to be a beautifully made, sincere, and crowd-pleasing family adventure whose emotional impact comes from its earnest animal-human friendship.
- Which films are like My Penguin Friend?
- Films with a similar feel include Dolphin Tale, A Dog's Purpose, Free Willy, and The Black Stallion.
- How long is My Penguin Friend?
- My Penguin Friend runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch My Penguin Friend?
- In United States, My Penguin Friend streams on Hulu.
