Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- whimsical
- ornate
- earnest
- christmas viewing
- family movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film visually spectacular and lavishly produced but hollow, narratively incoherent, and lacking the transporting magic expected from a holiday fantasy.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Clara follows a golden thread from a London holiday party into the Four Realms.
Clara searches for the one-of-a-kind key that unlocks her late mother's gift.
The plot begins at Drosselmeyer's annual Christmas party and incorporates snowflakes, sweets, music, and festive spectacle.
The Four Realms are presented through highly colorful landscapes, elaborate costumes, and effects-driven production design.
Films like The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, and why
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
child protagonist enters a richly designed magical realm and confronts a threatening ruler in a family fantasy adventure
The Nutcracker Prince
ornate holiday fantasy, young heroine, magical object, and storybook world-building aimed at family audiences
Alice in Wonderland
whimsical child-centered journey through a fantastical parallel world with colorful spectacle and fairy-tale conflict
Movie Details
- Directors
- Lasse Hallström, Joe Johnston
- Release Date
- 2018-10-26
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (2271)
Cast
- Mackenzie Foy
- Jayden Fowora-Knight
- Tom Sweet
- Keira Knightley
- Helen Mirren
- Morgan Freeman
- Eugenio Derbez
- Matthew Macfadyen
- Richard E. Grant
- Sergei Polunin
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Disney Plus
- 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 Nutcracker and the Four Realms about?
- A grieving young girl follows a golden thread into a lavish fairy-tale kingdom, where a vanished key draws her into a struggle to restore harmony.
- What is The Nutcracker and the Four Realms like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Nutcracker and the Four Realms violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Nutcracker and the Four Realms as mild.
- What did critics think of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms?
- Critics broadly found the film visually spectacular and lavishly produced but hollow, narratively incoherent, and lacking the transporting magic expected from a holiday fantasy.
- Which films are like The Nutcracker and the Four Realms?
- Films with a similar feel include The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Nutcracker Prince, and Alice in Wonderland.
- How long is The Nutcracker and the Four Realms?
- The Nutcracker and the Four Realms runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Nutcracker and the Four Realms?
- In United States, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms streams on Disney Plus.
