The Willoughbys is Netflix’s upcoming animated children’s comedy feature from writer/director Kris Pearn (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2), and is based on the 2008 novel of the same name by award-winning children’s author Lois Lowry.
It follows the adventures of the four Willoughby siblings – Tim, Jane, and the twins Barnaby A and Barnaby B – who concoct a plan to send their parents on a deadly holiday so that they can raise themselves as they see fit in their absence.
The movie features a strong voice cast that stars Will Forte, Maya Rudolph, Alessia Cara, Terry Crews, Martin Short, Jane Krakowski, Vincent Tong, and Ricky Gervais.
The official plot synopsis is as follows:
Convinced they’d be better off raising themselves, the Willoughby children hatch a sneaky plan to send their selfish parents on vacation. The siblings then embark on their own high-flying adventure to find the true meaning of family.
I’m pretty sure we all thought that when we were younger. Let’s take a look:
I love the animation style – it reminds me a lot of the classic
cartoons from the early to middle 1900s, but updated with all the colourful bells
and whistles of modernity. I also like the fact that this isn’t your standard,
saccharine-sweet, children’s movie. There’s a darker edge to this tale – for
example gleefully sending your parents to their death to get what you want isn’t
exactly light-hearted when you’re a kid – that the movie doesn’t shy
away from in order to “protect the children” from topics that adults might find
uncomfortable to discuss.
This looks like a decent children’s movie that also holds some entertainment value for us older kids. What do you think?
The Willoughbys will premiere on Netflix on 22 April, so you’ll have something new to watch with the kids after you exhaust Netflix’s library during the lockdown.
Last Updated: March 24, 2020
