Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- whimsical
- uplifting
- family movie night
- lazy sunday
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film visually inventive and sweetly humorous, though less evolved and less narratively substantial than Aardman's strongest work.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Dug and his fellow cavemen use a football match to challenge the more powerful Bronze Age society threatening their home.
Aardman's plasticine stop-motion style defines the cavemen, prehistoric landscapes, comic action, and football sequences.
Critics identified the conflict between the Stone Age tribe and the technologically advanced outsiders as an allegory for Brexit-era divisions.
The asteroid fragment becomes a football, and the film playfully presents cavemen as the accidental originators of the game.
Films like Early Man, and why
The Croods
stop-motion family comedy with eccentric characters, physical humor, and a community threatened by an outside power
Chicken Run
Aardman-style clay animation, comic ensemble dynamics, and an underdog group resisting an oppressive institution
Shaolin Soccer
animated sports underdog story combining teamwork, broad humor, and a championship-driven plot
Movie Details
- Director
- Nick Park
- Release Date
- 2018-01-26
- Runtime
- 89 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (896)
Cast
- Eddie Redmayne
- Tom Hiddleston
- Maisie Williams
- Timothy Spall
- Miriam Margolyes
- Rob Brydon
- Kayvan Novak
- Richard Ayoade
- Selina Griffiths
- Johnny Vegas
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- 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 Early Man about?
- A resourceful caveman turns an asteroid fragment into football and rallies his tribe against a powerful Bronze Age regime.
- What is Early Man like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Early Man as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Early Man violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Early Man as mild.
- What did critics think of Early Man?
- Critics broadly found the film visually inventive and sweetly humorous, though less evolved and less narratively substantial than Aardman's strongest work.
- Which films are like Early Man?
- Films with a similar feel include The Croods, Chicken Run, and Shaolin Soccer.
- How long is Early Man?
- Early Man runs 89 minutes.
- Where can I watch Early Man?
- In United States, Early Man streams on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel.
