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Wendell & Wild

Play trailer 2:08 Poster for Wendell & Wild PG-13 2022 1h 45m Comedy Animation Adventure Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 123 Reviews 64% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
From the delightfully wicked minds of Henry Selick and Jordan Peele, comes Wendell & Wild, an animated tale about scheming demon brothers Wendell (Keegan-Michael Key) and Wild (Peele) -- who enlist the aid of 13-year-old Kat Elliot -- a tough teen with a load of guilt -- to summon them to the Land of the Living. But what Kat demands in return leads to a brilliantly bizarre and comedic adventure like no other, an animated fantasy that defies the law of life and death, all told through the handmade artistry of stop motion.
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Critics Consensus

Boasting visual marvels to match its ambitious and inclusive story, Wendell & Wild is a spooky treat for budding horror fans.

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Critics Reviews

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Dwight Brown DwightBrownInk.com Sometimes there’s too many cooks in the kitchen. Sometimes there are too many storylines in a movie. Same difference. Rated: 2/4 Nov 11, 2022 Full Review David Fear Rolling Stone This needs a lot more chaos energy to power it past the rough spots. None of this should detract from the movie’s good elements and better-angels best intentions. Oct 31, 2022 Full Review Wendy Ide Observer (UK) The story is a touch convoluted, but it’s a gleefully grim good time. Rated: 4/5 Oct 30, 2022 Full Review Shakyl Lambert CGMagazine Overall, Wendell and Wild is a solid entry point for introducing kids to horror. Rated: 7.5/10 Jul 12, 2024 Full Review Kyle Logan Castle of Chills From Selick’s classic mixture of the macabre and the whimsical in three dimensional stop-motion to shadow plays and some incredible paper cut-out art, the film is a wonder to behold. Jul 11, 2024 Full Review Damon Wise Deadline Hollywood Daily In 2009, it was considered almost shocking when Pixar’s Up addressed the subject of death... But while that door is now open, Henry Selick’s Wendell & Wild finds inventive ways to blow the hinges off. Sep 25, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Clark C Fantastic visuals and beautiful animation but a terrible script. Not involving, not well conceived. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 10/23/22 Full Review TROY S A genuinely brilliant stop-motion film from the mind of Henry Selick. Characters, visuals, comedy, sets, it was all brilliantly done. Even the voice actors were perfectly cast. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/22/25 Full Review Jens B I don't understand the positive reception of "Wendell & Wild." It's all well and good that the film seems to have found its audience. But is it possible that director Henry Selick is at least a little nostalgic? I don't deny that the man is a master of stop-motion animation; "Wendell & Wild" boasts impressive animation, especially in the details. The character design is also full of life and exudes a charm all its own, making you want to watch the film and its protagonist. It's just a shame that, apart from these two points, nothing else in the film works. The plot is probably the biggest problem: What is it actually about? Loss and grief? A critique of religion and blind obedience? Or perhaps the problem of the privatization of the penal system? Moreover, the protagonist and all the supporting actors fail to provide any stability in the confusing plot: Everyone has their own agenda, and none of it is carried through or concluded. After an interesting opening, somewhat reminiscent of "Monkeybone," the film lost me, and I had to endure 90 minutes of boredom. When I felt like the exposition was finally over and the adventure could begin, there were only 16 minutes left. Apparently, I had already seen the finale! Calling it a screenplay disaster is entirely appropriate. But the criticism doesn't end there. To sum it up: The voice acting is lackluster and/or incongruous with the characters' movements. The interactions also seem somewhat out of sync. The needle drops are equally inappropriate and pull me out of the film. The backgrounds seem empty and too clean; the visual effects are reminiscent of Windows Movie Maker. I love stop-motion animation. My heart swells when I see the animators' fingerprints (like on the cream drops in this film) and admire the work that also went into "Wendell & Wild." The fact that the film fails to move me in the slightest should really speak for itself. If Wendell and Wild weren't in the title, I wouldn't be able to name a single character in this film, let alone the main character. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 10/18/25 Full Review Waki W This movie was fun and good watch! I would recommend to watch if you love henry selick movies and Great halloween adventure and comedy film. This was good to see it on Netflix. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/06/25 Full Review TROYS S Wendell & Wild is an amusing, fascinating and ambitious meeting of the minds between Selick and modern horror impresario Jordan Peele. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/12/25 Full Review Stephen C Funny in 1.75 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated PG-13 for Violence, Brief Strong Language, Substance Use and Some Thematic Material!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dubbed and subtitled in worldwide studios!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/30/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Wendell & Wild

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Movie Info

Synopsis From the delightfully wicked minds of Henry Selick and Jordan Peele, comes Wendell & Wild, an animated tale about scheming demon brothers Wendell (Keegan-Michael Key) and Wild (Peele) -- who enlist the aid of 13-year-old Kat Elliot -- a tough teen with a load of guilt -- to summon them to the Land of the Living. But what Kat demands in return leads to a brilliantly bizarre and comedic adventure like no other, an animated fantasy that defies the law of life and death, all told through the handmade artistry of stop motion.
Director
Henry Selick
Producer
Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jordan Peele, Henry Selick
Screenwriter
Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Henry Selick, Clay McLeod Chapman
Distributor
Netflix
Production Co
Netflix Animation, Artists First, Gotham Group, Monkeypaw Productions, Netflix, SIF 309 Film Music
Rating
PG-13 (Violence|Brief Strong Language|Substance Use|Some Thematic Material)
Genre
Comedy, Animation, Adventure, Fantasy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 21, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 28, 2022
Runtime
1h 45m
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