What Maisie Knew
A perceptive child finds steadier love with her caregivers while her glamorous parents turn custody into a weapon.
Overview
A poignant exploration of childhood innocence amidst adult turmoil and conflict.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- haunting
- empathetic
- reflective evening
- literary adaptation night
What critics said
Critics generally praised the empathetic direction, emotionally resonant script, strong ensemble performances, and especially Onata Aprile's child-centered performance, while acknowledging the story's difficult melodrama.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Maisie's understanding of the custody battle and her parents' marriages drives the film's emotional framing.
Margo and Lincoln gradually become emotionally responsible for Maisie and envision a family unit outside her parents' control.
Beale and Susanna use marriages and parental access to strengthen their positions in the custody battle.
The film's open, graceful cinematography and understated performances emphasize lived-in family interactions over melodramatic spectacle.
Films like What Maisie Knew, and why
Kramer vs. Kramer
child-centered dysfunctional family drama with emotionally observant performances and a quietly heartrending tone
The Squid and the Whale
empathetic domestic drama focused on a child navigating parental separation and changing family structures
The Ice Storm
literary family drama pairing painful adult dysfunction with a child's searching perspective
The Kids Are All Right
poignant contemporary drama about surrogate caregiving, unstable parents, and unconventional family bonds
Movie Details
- Directors
- Scott McGehee, David Siegel
- Release Date
- 2013-05-02
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (459)
Cast
- Julianne Moore
- Steve Coogan
- Alexander Skarsgård
- Joanna Vanderham
- Onata Aprile
- Diana García
- Sadie Rae
- Jesse Stone Spadaccini
- Amelia Campbell
- Maddie Corman
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel
- 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 What Maisie Knew about?
- A perceptive child finds steadier love with her caregivers while her glamorous parents turn custody into a weapon.
- What is What Maisie Knew like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of What Maisie Knew as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is What Maisie Knew violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in What Maisie Knew.
- What did critics think of What Maisie Knew?
- Critics generally praised the empathetic direction, emotionally resonant script, strong ensemble performances, and especially Onata Aprile's child-centered performance, while acknowledging the story's difficult melodrama.
- Which films are like What Maisie Knew?
- Films with a similar feel include Kramer vs. Kramer, The Squid and the Whale, The Ice Storm, and The Kids Are All Right.
- How long is What Maisie Knew?
- What Maisie Knew runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch What Maisie Knew?
- In United States, What Maisie Knew streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel.
