Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- sentimental
- tense
- maudlin
- emotionally intense movie night
- family drama marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film ambitious but undermined by implausible plotting, severe tonal shifts, and excessive sentimentality.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Henry manages the household finances and develops a detailed plan to protect Christina from abuse.
The film moves from quirky family comedy and child prodigy material into abuse, illness, conspiracy, and vigilante thriller territory.
Henry's little red book contains the instructions and discoveries that drive Susan's response to the conspiracy.
Susan is drawn into taking the law into her own hands after learning about Christina's situation.
Films like The Book of Henry, and why
The Lovely Bones
Shares a child-centered domestic thriller premise involving parental protection, abuse, and morally urgent intervention.
Room
Combines family drama, child endangerment, and a mother's determined response to a threatening adult figure.
Mystic River
Like this film, it mixes coming-of-age material, grief, and vigilantism within an emotionally heightened thriller framework.
Little Man Tate
Shares a precocious child protagonist, family upheaval, and a tonal blend of sentimentality and dark mystery.
Movie Details
- Director
- Colin Trevorrow
- Release Date
- 2017-06-16
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (1381)
Cast
- Naomi Watts
- Jaeden Martell
- Jacob Tremblay
- Sarah Silverman
- Lee Pace
- Maddie Ziegler
- Dean Norris
- Bobby Moynihan
- Tonya Pinkins
- Geraldine Hughes
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- 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 The Book of Henry about?
- A grieving single mother follows her prodigious son's secret plan to protect a vulnerable girl from an abusive household.
- What is The Book of Henry like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Book of Henry as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Book of Henry violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Book of Henry as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Book of Henry?
- Critics broadly found the film ambitious but undermined by implausible plotting, severe tonal shifts, and excessive sentimentality.
- Which films are like The Book of Henry?
- Films with a similar feel include The Lovely Bones, Room, Mystic River, and Little Man Tate.
- How long is The Book of Henry?
- The Book of Henry runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Book of Henry?
- In United States, The Book of Henry is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
