Overview
A young boy's bond with a cheetah leads to an unforgettable adventure through the wilds of South Africa.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- tender
- suspenseful
- hopeful
- family movie night
- animal lover viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a beautifully shot, emotionally affecting family adventure with a compelling child-and-cheetah relationship.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Xan must move beyond treating Duma as a household companion and undertake the journey to return the cheetah to the wild.
Duma is Xan’s inseparable playmate and later his companion through danger, bullying, grief, and escape.
After Peter is struck by illness and dies, Xan responds to displacement and loss by running away with Duma toward the mountains.
The journey from the farm and city toward the mountains places the characters amid perils that demand courage, intelligence, and animal instinct.
Films like Duma, and why
The Black Stallion
family adventure centered on a child’s bond with a wild animal, combining emotional growth with wilderness peril
Free Willy
uplifting children’s adventure about an intense human animal relationship and survival in a natural environment
The Journey of Natty Gann
coming of age wilderness adventure balancing loss, courage, and a young protagonist’s connection to nature
Movie Details
- Director
- Carroll Ballard
- Release Date
- 2005-04-22
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (215)
Cast
- Alex Michaeletos
- Campbell Scott
- Mary Makhatho
- Nthabiseng Kenoshi
- Hope Davis
- Jennifer Steyn
- Eamonn Walker
- André Stolz
- Charlotte Savage
- Clive Scott
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy 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 Duma about?
- A grieving South African boy journeys toward the mountains with his beloved cheetah, discovering that courage and love mean returning Duma to the wild.
- What is Duma like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Duma as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Duma violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Duma as mild.
- What did critics think of Duma?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a beautifully shot, emotionally affecting family adventure with a compelling child-and-cheetah relationship.
- Which films are like Duma?
- Films with a similar feel include The Black Stallion, Free Willy, and The Journey of Natty Gann.
- How long is Duma?
- Duma runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch Duma?
- In United States, Duma streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
