Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Fairyland

Play trailer 1:58 Poster for Fairyland R Oct 2025 1h 56m Drama LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
98% Tomatometer 47 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Produced by Oscar® winner Sofia Coppola (Writing, Original Screenplay, Lost in Translation, 2003) and based on the acclaimed memoir of the same name by Alysia Abbott, Fairyland is a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of San Francisco's vibrant cultural scene in the 1970s and '80s. This captivating film chronicles a father and daughter relationship as it evolves through an era of bohemian decadence to the sober and heartbreaking era of the AIDS crisis.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

Fairyland

Fairyland

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Drawing on one family's real-life experiences, the powerfully acted Fairyland pays poignant tribute to love and resilience in the face of adversity and tragedy.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Randy Myers San Jose Mercury News Oct 17
3/4
The performances from McNairy, Nessa Dougherty as a young Alysia and Emilia Jones as a teen/adult Alysia capture her aches and longing. Go to Full Review
G. Allen Johnson San Francisco Chronicle Oct 14
4/4
Durham’s direction is sensitive and assured, and he does a great job mixing his location work with archival footage to create an authentic sense of what San Francisco was like during those times. Go to Full Review
Matt Zoller Seitz RogerEbert.com Oct 10
3.5/4
This is an honest, real movie about people living big lives during tumultuous times, and coming through it damaged but wiser. Go to Full Review
Sarah Vincent Sarah G Vincent Views Nov 17
Writer and director Andrew Durham in his feature film debut is off to a terrific start. A lot of filmmakers lay it on too thick when filming a period film, and this film feels lived in, not precious or engineered to push buttons. Go to Full Review
Zach Youngs InSession Film Oct 24
B
Fairyland is a film that grows into itself. It’s a coming of age story that we see evolve as Alysia grows into it. Go to Full Review
André Hereford Metro Weekly (Washington, DC) Oct 11
3/5
Adapting Alysia Abbott’s acclaimed memoir about growing up with a single gay dad in ’70s San Francisco, 'Fairyland' shapes the unconventional coming-of-age story into a moving, warmly funny portrait of a bygone era of queer life and liberation. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Stephen T Oct 23 this true to life story actually makes you feel like you're back in the 70s and 80s in San Francisco. the casting convincingly tells a heartbreaking story through the eyes of a daughter growing up with a single gay dad. now i want to read the book. See more jesse v Oct 22 A good documentary of the gay upbringing culture in classic San Francisco. some scenes were well shot and the actors performances were great. though time really sped through after the first act, even having the daughters side story completely dropped. ending was somber. See more JoAnne Oct 16 Loved it! Fantastic cast and moving story. See more TY Oct 13 Heartbreakingly beautiful! See more Lynne Oct 5 It was a wonderful heartfelt movie. Highly recommend See more Robert R. @eoonline 5d For those of us who lived this historical period, this movie resonates. However, it suffers from a glaring lack of finesse, adhering to a predictable melodramatic formula, almost reminiscent of “after-school specials” from my childhood. I am conflicted about this film, as the acting is great, and I have no complaints about the cinematography, but I really wonder how this might have fared under a more nuanced director. See more Read all reviews
Fairyland

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
Blue Jean 96% 91% Blue Jean Watchlist Moonlight 98% 79% Moonlight Watchlist TRAILER for Moonlight El Houb 100% 90% El Houb Watchlist Ponyboi 81% % Ponyboi Watchlist TRAILER for Ponyboi You Can Live Forever 91% 79% You Can Live Forever Watchlist TRAILER for You Can Live Forever Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Produced by Oscar® winner Sofia Coppola (Writing, Original Screenplay, Lost in Translation, 2003) and based on the acclaimed memoir of the same name by Alysia Abbott, Fairyland is a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of San Francisco's vibrant cultural scene in the 1970s and '80s. This captivating film chronicles a father and daughter relationship as it evolves through an era of bohemian decadence to the sober and heartbreaking era of the AIDS crisis.
Director
Andrew Durham
Producer
Andrew Durham, Sofia Coppola, Megan Carlson, Laure Sudreau, Siena Oberman, Greg Lauritano
Screenwriter
Andrew Durham
Distributor
Lionsgate / WILLA
Production Co
Lost Gang Films West, Black Magic, American Zoetrope, Artemis, Ouroboros Entertainment, Safe Space Pictures
Rating
R (Drug Use)
Genre
Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 3, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 4, 2025
Runtime
1h 56m
Most Popular at Home Now