Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- whimsical
- wistful
- melancholic
- family movie night
- romantic evening
What critics said
Critics generally found the film visually inventive and engagingly romantic, while considering its character development and storytelling uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jack's cuckoo-clock heart literalizes vulnerability, passion, and the fear that love may cause emotional and physical collapse.
The late nineteenth-century setting combines fantastic inventions, a clockwork heart, eccentric characters, and elaborate animated design.
Madeleine's central rule forbids Jack from falling in love, while his pursuit of Miss Acacia tests that prohibition.
The story frames Jack's mechanical heart and other characters' vulnerabilities through a theme of passion, self-discipline, and acceptance.
Films like Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart, and why
The Secret of Kells
whimsical animated fantasy, romantic longing, and emotionally bittersweet fairy-tale storytelling
Corpse Bride
stylized stop-motion-like gothic fantasy, eccentric characters, and darkly tender romance
The Nightmare Before Christmas
musical animation, outsider protagonists, ornate visual invention, and themes of acceptance
April and the Extraordinary World
European animated fantasy adventure with heightened romance and a visually distinctive world
Movie Details
- Directors
- Stéphane Berla, Mathias Malzieu
- Release Date
- 2014-01-29
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (772)
Cast
- Mathias Malzieu
- Olivia Ruiz
- Grand Corps Malade
- Jean Rochefort
- Emily Loizeau
- Rossy de Palma
- Babet
- Marie Vincent
- Dani
- Arthur H.
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart about?
- A clockwork-hearted boy defies a life-saving rule when he pursues the singer who makes him feel truly alive.
- What is Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart.
- What did critics think of Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart?
- Critics generally found the film visually inventive and engagingly romantic, while considering its character development and storytelling uneven.
- Which films are like Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart?
- Films with a similar feel include The Secret of Kells, Corpse Bride, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and April and the Extraordinary World.
- How long is Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart?
- Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart?
- In United States, Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel.
