Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- warm
- hopeful
- uplifting
- family movie night
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics broadly viewed the film as an earnest, family-friendly and inspiring coming-of-age story with strong performances, while finding its sentiment and conventions overly familiar.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Dylan develops and refines paper-plane designs to compete at junior championships in Sydney and Tokyo.
Dylan's resigned father is described as living in the past, shaping Dylan's emotional journey.
The story explicitly frames never giving up as more important than winning.
Competitive paper-plane throwing and the search for a winning model provide the film's central visual motif.
Films like Paper Planes, and why
The Mighty Ducks
family-friendly coming-of-age adventure centered on youthful competition, perseverance, and emotional growth
Akeelah and the Bee
warm teen sports drama about an inexperienced young competitor finding confidence through mentorship and teamwork
Billy Elliot
uplifting family film about a child pursuing an unusual competitive dream despite personal obstacles
The Sapphires
gentle Australian coming-of-age story combining family grief, friendship, and determination
Movie Details
- Director
- Robert Connolly
- Release Date
- 2014-08-10
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (129)
Cast
- Sam Worthington
- Ed Oxenbould
- Deborah Mailman
- Nicholas Bakopoulos-Cooke
- Ena Imai
- Terry Norris
- Peter Rowsthorn
- Julian Dennison
- Yaron Zeilinger
- Kim Fleming
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Starz Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Paper Planes about?
- A shy Australian boy turns paper-plane throwing into a journey of invention, resilience, and reconnection with his grieving father.
- What is Paper Planes like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Paper Planes as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Paper Planes violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Paper Planes.
- What did critics think of Paper Planes?
- Critics broadly viewed the film as an earnest, family-friendly and inspiring coming-of-age story with strong performances, while finding its sentiment and conventions overly familiar.
- Which films are like Paper Planes?
- Films with a similar feel include The Mighty Ducks, Akeelah and the Bee, Billy Elliot, and The Sapphires.
- How long is Paper Planes?
- Paper Planes runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch Paper Planes?
- In United States, Paper Planes streams on Starz Apple TV channel.
