TL;DR – While the story has little depth, you can’t help but get caught up in the wonder of this fantastic world.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene, and an end-credit sting, but you don’t need to stay for the end.

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film.

The Magic Faraway Tree Review Introduction

Today, we look at a very peculiar film. In talking with people, it’s clear that the original Enid Blyton stories hold a special nostalgic place in many childhoods. I didn’t read it as a child, so I’m not coming into this film with those baked-in feelings. On the plus side, I don’t have those years of built-in wonder that could be devastated by changes in the story, but then I don’t have that connection built in, ready to engage that suspension of belief from the outset. That history is what frames my experience with the film today.   

So, to set the scene, Tim (Andrew Garfield) and Polly Thompson (Claire Foy) are trying to raise their family, Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy), Fran (Billie Gadsdon) & Joe (Phoenix Laroche), in a modern world that fosters disconnection. When Polly gets fired from her job, because she discovered her Fridge (Judi Dench) project was being used nefariously, the family comes to a crossroads. Taking a gamble, they dive into the wilderness of the English countryside, to the village of Netherbridge, to live out one of their dreams in their dream journal. The kids are not a fan of their new barn house, which does not have electricity, let alone wi-fi. But when Fran gets an invitation to visit the enchanted woods, which everyone says is dangerous, well, she can’t help but see what is there to discover.

Narrative

As I mentioned, I haven’t read the books, but from my research, this is not quite a direct adaptation of any of the books. But it creates a modern framework for the story, and then cherry-picks elements and plot points from several of the stories. There are some deep-cut references to name changes, and elements, for example, the character of Connie, being adapted differently from the original, but the core is still there. I’m not sure how this will land for those who loved the original works, because it feels like this is not a direct adaptation. But the writing did have a lot of love for the works.

The story itself is a very basic morality tale, and there is one moment where you can map the entire back half of the film based on a single character exchange. To be fair, this is a film pitching itself at a younger audience, and I did see some engagement with the kids in the audience. It did feel as if it could have gotten one further level of depth and still have been a rounded story. However, all that aside, while it may be a touch on the long side, it does still represent a fun and bubbly tale of adventure, which is nice.

Characters

Each of the family members fits one archetype that you would find in a story such as this. While that can be restrictive, as a unit, they all work well. Claire Foy & Andrew Garfield are clearly going to be a delight as the parents trying to keep the world running for the children who very much do not appreciate their sacrifices. Oh, goodness, I think I aged ten years writing that sentence. I will say that there was one moment where Andrew Garfield switches from ‘carefree goofy dad’ mode to ‘I am a two-time Oscar and Laurence Olivier Award winner Andrew Garfield damnit’ and I was not ready for the emotional whiplash. I was surprised by just how much of the heavy lifting the kids have to do in the story, and I think they work well with the roles they were given.

They really nailed the supporting cast with Silky (Nicola Coughlan), Moonface (Nonso Anozie), Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning), Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns), Mr Watzisname (Oliver Chris), and Angry Pixie (Hiran Abeysekera), all nailing that fine line between fascinating and weird. It was interesting to see them start with such bombast, but then watching them mellow as the story continues, giving little hints to their larger world. What this story does allow is the ability of cameos left, right, and centre for some of Britain’s best talent. Jennifer Saunders absolutely nails Grandma Thompson, and has the most singularly devastating line of dialogue I have seen in cinema so far this year. I loved the Farmer (Simon Farnaby) and his Wife (Claire Keelan) pull off a pitch-perfect Hot Fuzz reference in a kids’ film in 2026. Also, it was clear that Rebecca Ferguson was just having so much fun as Dame Snap, and you always want to see that.  

Magical Reality

What this film does well (and I assume the stories it is based on as well) is create a magical world that feels tangible. I have walked in forests that have this feeling to them, that energy of there being something fantastical just around the corner. Through in Australia that was usually just a snake. A world where, at the top of a magical tree, you can find a different floating island each day if you climb a ladder is such a cool concept, and the film makes the most of it. I don’t even like marshmallows that much, and I absolutely would have been captured by their charm. You could talk about the budget not being there in some of the wider climbing sequences. However, I would say that there is a real charm to all the worldbuilding.

Even though they are working within the framework of an established story, there were still a lot of bold choices being made. Some of these choices, such as turning the Birthday Elves into a version of Eurotrash, were bold, but they worked. What didn’t work in the year 2026 was some of the colonial imagery, especially in one of the choices of costume. While this film did have a charm of one of those fantasy films from the 1980s or 1990s, it didn’t have to add some of their elements that have not aged well. Thankfully, the presentation of the tree and the magical world around it helps to smooth over some of these rougher edges.  

Recommendation

In the end, do we recommend The Magic Faraway Tree? Some slight awkwardnesses besides, did this film make me want to climb a magic tree and put aside my fear of heights to visit a montage of wonderful worlds, yes, yes, it did. If you did read these books as a kid, I think it is a solid enough film that you should go and check it out and dive back into a world of mystery. It’s not perfect, but it’s imaginative, earnest, and full of charm. More importantly, it kept the kids entertained, which to be fair sometimes is exactly what you want from a family fantasy.    

Have you watched The Magic Faraway Tree? Let us know what you thought in the comments below. If you liked The Magic Faraway Tree, we would recommend Stardust to you because it also nails the narrative of a fantasy world that is just outside of ours, if only you knew just which hole in the wall to pass through.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Feel free to share this review on social media and check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 

Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of The Magic Faraway Tree
Directed by – Ben Gregor
Screenplay by – Simon Farnaby
Based on – The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
Music by – Isabella Summers
Cinematography by – Zac Nicholson
Edited by – Gary Dollner
Production/Distribution Companies – Ashland Hill Media Finance, Neal Street Productions, Elysian Film Group & VVS Films
Starring – Claire Foy, Andrew Garfield, Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Billie Gadsdon, Phoenix Laroche, Nicola Coughlan, Nonso Anozie, Jessica Gunning, Dustin Demri-Burns, Mark Heap, Oliver Chris, Lenny Henry, Michael Palin, Simon Russell Beale, Jennifer Saunders, Hiran Abeysekera, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Farnaby, Claire Keelan, & Judi Dench
Rating – Australia: G; United Kingdom: U; United States: PG