The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

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The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

PG

2013

1h 54m

Comedy

Adventure

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

52%

Tomatometer

196 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller), an employee at Life magazine, spends day after monotonous day developing photos for the publication. To escape the tedium, Walter inhabits a world of exciting daydreams in which he is the undeniable hero. Walter fancies a fellow employee named Cheryl (Kristen Wiig) and would love to date her, but he feels unworthy. However, he gets a chance to have a real adventure when Life's new owners send him on a mission to obtain the perfect photo for the final print issue.

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Critics Consensus

It doesn't lack for ambition, but The Secret Life of Walter Mitty fails to back up its grand designs with enough substance to anchor the spectacle.

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Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

With such high aims, it's too bad that 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' falls somewhat short of greatness. But it's not often that you come across a "big" movie as earnest and patently un-cynical as this one.

Jun 19, 2016

Full Review

Dana Stevens

Slate

Stiller's attempt to braid together introspection and humor kept me engaged and curious, even when I wasn't quite sure what he was setting out to do.

Jan 1, 2014

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Donald Clarke

Irish Times

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty probably succeeds on its own terms. Given the elusive nature of those terms, it is, however, hard to tell for certain.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 1, 2014

Full Review

Emiliano Basile

EscribiendoCine

While not genial, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty recaptures the charm of hopeful stories by giving a comedy twist... [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 7/10

Dec 11, 2023

Full Review

Wael Khairy

The Cairo Scene

I admire the film’s originality, and the thought-provoking twist ending, but daydream of a deeper director’s cut.

Sep 23, 2022

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Less about Walter Mitty’s secret life than his actual, perfectly romantic, impossibly realized adventures, the film loses itself in a fantasy world all its own and never fully embraces the everyday balance of reality and imagination.

Rated: 1.5/4

Aug 19, 2022

Full Review

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Logan B

It’s a shame that critics don’t see this movie for what it truly is. This film tells a deeply human story about what it feels like to be unhappy with your life — to wish you were someone else or that things had gone differently — and to feel trapped by circumstances beyond your control. But more importantly, it’s about the journey of rediscovering yourself, realizing what it means to be alive, and understanding that life isn’t defined by the paths you didn’t take. Instead, it’s about appreciating where you are right now and recognizing that each day is a gift. No matter how routine life may seem, we can never predict what tomorrow will bring. That uncertainty is what makes us human — and this movie captures that truth beautifully. Every time I watch it, it grows on me even more. It’s one of those rare films that leaves you with a quiet sense of reflection and gratitude. A heartfelt story with a timeless life lesson that everyone can learn from. Highly recommended.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/18/25

Full Review

Juan N

Es una película algo complicada de entender pero cuando logras captar todos los conceptos, te das cuenta que tiene mayor trascendencia comprendiendo al final que es una introspección dirigida al reconocimiento de años de trabajo y a la admiración hacia una persona de las que rara vez se permiten ver. Una verdadera obra de arte !

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/15/25

Full Review

Riley S.

Why is Mark S treating Derrick Zoolander so poorly?😭

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/08/25

Full Review

Brenda B

A beautiful and deeply human art film about the tender parts of the heart and specifically of the main character and the ways society dismisses such men - and how much we need them - as much as they need us. I feel immensely grateful to Ben Stiller for the detailed breadth and inclusivity of this lovely film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/06/25

Full Review

Johannes S

I have no idea why it receives such harsh criticism. It is a beautiful story about taking just taking action instead of imagining what you would like to do. It's a warm and comfortable movie offering not only a reflection into your own life, but also a 2h escape!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/24/25

Full Review

Kale J

Good movie would see again

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/11/25

Full Review

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Ben Stiller

Director

Ben Stiller

Walter Mitty

Kristen Wiig

Cheryl

Shirley MacLaine

Edna

Adam Scott

Ted Hendricks

Kathryn Hahn

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Synopsis

Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller), an employee at Life magazine, spends day after monotonous day developing photos for the publication. To escape the tedium, Walter inhabits a world of exciting daydreams in which he is the undeniable hero. Walter fancies a fellow employee named Cheryl (Kristen Wiig) and would love to date her, but he feels unworthy. However, he gets a chance to have a real adventure when Life's new owners send him on a mission to obtain the perfect photo for the final print issue.

Director: Ben Stiller
Producer: Samuel Goldwyn Jr., John Goldwyn, Stuart Cornfeld, Ben Stiller
Screenwriter: Steve Conrad
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Red Hour Productions, Samuel Goldwyn Films
Rating: PG (Language|Action/Violence|Some Crude Comments)
Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 2013, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 30, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $58.2M
Runtime: 1h 54m
Sound Mix: Datasat, Dolby

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