ParaNorman

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ParaNorman

PG

2012

1h 36m

Kids & Family

Comedy

Fantasy

Adventure

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

190 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Young Norman Babcock (Kodi Smit-McPhee) has the ability to speak with the dead -- and he often prefers their company to that of the living. Norman receives word from his strange Uncle Prenderghast (John Goodman) that a centuries-old witch's curse on their town is real and about to come true -- and that only Norman can stop it. When zombies rise from their graves, Norman must summon all his courage and compassion and push his paranormal abilities to the limit to save his fellow townspeople.

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Critics Consensus

Beautifully animated and solidly scripted, ParaNorman will entertain (and frighten) older children while providing surprisingly thoughtful fare for their parents.

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Nadine Cortez

The Hermes Tidings

this is a test review for a severely underrated film.

Oct 30, 2025

Full Review

Edward Porter

The Times (UK)

The movie has life in its veins and a good heart: the story becomes a delicate fairytale.

Oct 31, 2022

Full Review

Tara Brady

Irish Times

Anyone who's robust enough to enjoy Roald Dahl will surely appreciate ParaNorman's playfully PG undead action.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 14, 2012

Full Review

Jason Best

Movie Talk

Successfully balancing knockabout comedy and spooky chills, this stop-motion-animation fantasy... is a treat for kids and horror buffs alike and contains a heartening message: don’t mistreat misfits.

Aug 9, 2024

Full Review

Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Not only an effective gateway-horror for kids, it has genuine laughs and genuine frights, making for a spooky enough adventure for audiences of all ages.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 22, 2023

Full Review

Rendy Jones

them.

It has deservedly become a go-to movie for horror fans of all ages to watch together during spooky season.

Oct 27, 2022

Full Review

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𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗬

𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗼 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝟯𝗗 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/30/25

Full Review

Marisol

Love this movie, even after years. Its funny, witty and overall great!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/29/25

Full Review

Mirna S

It was beautifully remastered. We had so much fun rewatching it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/29/25

Full Review

Judy

What an excellent Halloween movie adventure for the grandkids. We really enjoyed to movie!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/29/25

Full Review

John A

Brilliant movie and the 3D, especially with the insects in the house, were incredible.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/29/25

Full Review

Ale

One of my favorite movies! Loved seeing it in 3D and on the big screen (so many details I hadn’t noticed before).

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/29/25

Full Review

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Chris Butler

Director

Sam Fell

Director

Kodi Smit-McPhee

Norman

Tucker Albrizzi

Neil

Anna Kendrick

Courtney

Casey Affleck

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Synopsis

Young Norman Babcock (Kodi Smit-McPhee) has the ability to speak with the dead -- and he often prefers their company to that of the living. Norman receives word from his strange Uncle Prenderghast (John Goodman) that a centuries-old witch's curse on their town is real and about to come true -- and that only Norman can stop it. When zombies rise from their graves, Norman must summon all his courage and compassion and push his paranormal abilities to the limit to save his fellow townspeople.

Director: Chris Butler, Sam Fell
Producer: Arianne Sutner, Travis Knight
Screenwriter: Chris Butler
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Co: Laika
Rating: PG (Scary Action|Language|Scary Images|Some Rude Humor|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Kids & Family, Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 17, 2012, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Oct 25, 2025
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 19, 2015
Runtime: 1h 36m
Sound Mix: DTS, Dolby Atmos, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby SRD, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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