Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
Matilda Wormwood is an brilliant and intelligent little girl. Unfortunately, her parents, Harry and Zinnia, fail to see that fact. As time passes, she finally starts school and has a kind teacher, loyal friends, and a terrifying, sadistic headmistress. As she becomes fed up with the constant cruelty, she discovers she has a special gift that she just might be able to use to outwit the unruly adults around her.
Matilda is a charming and well-crafted family fantasy adaptation of Roald Dahl's beloved novel. The acting is the clear standout — Mara Wilson is endearing as Matilda, Danny DeVito is gleefully over-the-top as the villainous father, and Pam Ferris delivers a truly iconic, scenery-chewing performance as Miss Trunchbull that elevates the entire film. The plot faithfully serves the source material with solid pacing but doesn't add much beyond what Dahl provided. Cinematography is competent and occasionally inventive, with DeVito's direction giving it a storybook visual flair that suits the tone. Novelty is moderate — while the telekinesis angle and Dahl's darkly comic world have a distinctive flavor, it sits comfortably within the family-fantasy genre without radically distinguishing itself cinematically. The ending is satisfying but fairly conventional in its resolution of the underdog-triumph arc.