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The Sand Castle

Play trailer 1:57 Poster for The Sand Castle 2024 1h 38m Drama Mystery & Thriller Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 6 Reviews 64% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
A family of four finds themselves stuck on a picturesque island hiding a shocking reality. What starts as child's play and simple ways to pass the time begins to uncover dark secrets that they struggle to keep from the youngest, Jana. As events spiral out of control and the line between reality and fiction blurs, how will Jana and her family cope with the consequences and the tough choices they must face?
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The Sand Castle

Critics Reviews

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Glenn Kenny RogerEbert.com These characters are stranded outside of historical time, it seems, which is one of the ways that “The Sand Castle” indicates that it’s ultimately, yes, an allegory. Rated: 3/4 Jan 24, 2025 Full Review Razmig Bedirian The National (UAE) By the end of The Sand Castle, and after a suffocating viewing experience, you’re left with fragmented puzzle pieces and a faint idea of the film’s intent. Rated: 2.5/5 Jan 31, 2025 Full Review Johnny Loftus Decider The Sand Castle is a contemplative film of studied quiet that processes the violence in our world with the benefit, or very necessity, of a child’s boundless imagination. Jan 29, 2025 Full Review Martin Carr CBR Elevated by audacious visuals and peerless cinematography from Jeremy Snell, the movie tackles the subject of mental health with compassion and care. Rated: 9/10 Jan 28, 2025 Full Review Pramit Chatterjee Digital Mafia Talkies [If] The Sand Castle somehow compels even a single person to wake up and smell the coffee, then I guess it’s a win for Matty Brown. Rated: 2/5 Jan 24, 2025 Full Review Daniel Hart Ready Steady Cut Matty Brown’s The Sand Castle is a hauntingly beautiful and emotionally charged debut that masterfully blends survival drama with heartfelt family dynamics. Rated: 4/5 Jan 24, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Horror fan 4 What a snooze fest. I couldn't stay awake long enough for this movie to finally reveal a weak twist. By far one of the worst of the year. Tim Treakle Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/08/25 Full Review Moun. M The mess, the incoherence and the movie’s unrealistic mood refer to the trauma that happens when a child lives through a war. The film tells the story of a family, who lives in a war, through Jana's eyes. We can't see the chronological line of this story, because when a child is traumatized like this, they cannot tell what happened first and what happened next. The series of events are mixed up, and the memories of events are remembered in small, incoherent chunks. Trying to piece together a series of traumatic events is like collecting the pieces of a broken vase. Also, overwhelming feelings such as panic, sorrow or grief cannot be expressed under trauma, so they become objects, sounds and images. The island, the light that the family has to keep on, the engine that explodes and breaks down, the red shoe, are all allegories of the traumatic events Jana witnessed during her escape at sea. The film is strikingly authentic, depicting life in wartime through the eyes of children. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/04/25 Full Review Gregory B It's unique, tense, hypnotic, fervent, eerie and and a formidable ending that is equally thought provoking and shocking giving a clear insight on the current migration policies. Bizarre how it was just plonked on Netflix without any focus.! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/07/25 Full Review Mitch F Good grief what a waste of time. Kept waiting for the twist. What a let down. Don’t bother. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/25 Full Review Joshua P Beautiful movie. Keeps you in the edge of your seat and the visuals are stunning. Definitely worth the watch. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/03/25 Full Review Megan B Beautiful lighting and cinematography. A twist that created real poigniancy. Loved it Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/02/25 Full Review Read all reviews
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The Sand Castle

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Movie Info

Synopsis A family of four finds themselves stuck on a picturesque island hiding a shocking reality. What starts as child's play and simple ways to pass the time begins to uncover dark secrets that they struggle to keep from the youngest, Jana. As events spiral out of control and the line between reality and fiction blurs, how will Jana and her family cope with the consequences and the tough choices they must face?
Director
Matty Brown
Screenwriter
Matty Brown, Hend Fakhroo, Yassmina Karajah
Distributor
Netflix
Production Co
Front Row Filmed Entertainment, Houston King Productions, Empire Entertainment Limited
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Fantasy
Original Language
Arabic
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 24, 2025
Runtime
1h 38m
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