Is Netflix’s New Kids Movie, Spellbound, Worth Watching?

Netflix has just released a new animated kids movie starring some pretty big names in the form of Spellbound, which has rocketed up to instantly be the #2 most-watched movie on the service. But is it actually worth watching?

If I had to do a yes/no, the answer appears to be…probably not, and there are a lot better kids’ movies on the service. The film stars Rachel Zegler and Nicole Kidman, but is not reviewing terribly well. It has a 44% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, and while its 67% from audiences is better, that’s still pretty low relative to a lot of higher profile kids movies. Here’s the synopsis of the film:

“Spellbound follows the adventures of Ellian, the tenacious young daughter of the rulers of Lumbria who must go on a daring quest to save her family and kingdom after a mysterious spell transforms her parents into monsters.”

That sounds quite a bit like the plot of Pixar’s Brave, though likely with some different twists. The film is directed by Vicky Jenson who does have some great movies under her belt. She directed Shark Tale in 2004 and the original Shrek in 2001. But that was of course 20 years ago, and this new venture for Netflix does not exactly seem destined to be a classic. Here’s what some of the critics are saying:

• The Gate – “Spellbound goes from blank screen to utter trainwreck in record time. Why? Because there’s absolutely no first act to Spellbound. None.”
• Guardian – “It’s not quite Cocomelon but it exists in an entirely other universe far, far away from the many Disney films it’s trying to file itself next to.”
• RogerEbert.com – “A largely forgettable venture that families will watch during Thanksgiving break before the Netflix algorithm buries it forever.”

Here’s a more positive one for balance:

• IndieWire – “Cute, creative setpieces do wonders to keep the story moving along, as do the wealth of new songs that firmly establish this as a musical with a capital M.”

I’d almost consider watching just to hear some new Rachel Zegler tracks (I just saw her live on Broadway in Romeo and Juliet and she was phenomenal), but the truth is there are dozens of much better kids movies to watch on Netflix itself, and of course if you have a Disney Plus subscription. Maybe it’s something new, I suppose, so you don’t have to watch the Minions movie for the 43rd time, but it seems like this could have gone a lot better.

Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram.

Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.