A little girl with telekinetic powers is subjected to terrible parents and a bullying teacher until she starts using her powers to fight back against the cruelty she faces.
Ronald Dahl will always be known for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, much to his chagrin. It’s not a secret how unhappy he was with the film adaptation of it, as well as the rest of his works. So one might wonder just how much he would’ve loathed Matilda. Probably a lot. It’s quirky, odd, heartwarming, and funny, and it has a lot of similar vibes to the purple living chocolatier, feeling like a bit of a spiritual successor while also standing out on its own. Addressing rather important issues, like neglectful parents and abusive teachers, while also being kid friendly and fun for the whole family, Matilda is one of those rare movies that you can grow up watching and still enjoy into adulthood, catching different aspects and undertones with every watch.
Of course, Danny DeVito is always a fantastic director, and Matilda is no different. Weirdly underrated as a director, DeVito is intensely serious about the tale he’s telling, utilizing both vibrant and macabre visuals to bring Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord’s screenplay to life. While it diverts from the source material in several ways, it still captures that unsettling feeling that permeated Dahl’s novel, creating a world that feels unsafe for the children living in it and brings about a foreboding atmosphere where even the viewer is unsure of what will happen next.
DeVito also takes on the disgustingly vile father figure role, playing the titular Matilda’s distant dad alongside his real life wife, Rhea Perlman, as the mother. Together, they form the perfectly neglectful and dysfunctional family that drives Matilda to start fighting back. Of course, the film wouldn’t be the same without the darling Mara Wilson as our little spitfire lead. She carries the role with maturity and charisma that stretches beyond her years, and endears you to her so much that you simply can’t wait to see what the story holds for her. Embeth Davidtz is spectacular as Miss Honey, the only calming and benevolent presence in Matilda’s life. But the biggest props for villainy goes to Pam Ferris, who embodies Miss Trunchbull in such a nasty and horrid way that she’s become infamous and iconic. She’s unpleasant, abusive, and loathsome in all the right ways, and no one who watches it will be able to forget that cake eating scene. I’m gagging just thinking about it.
The cinematography is stellar, somehow towing the line between noir and childish, and the effects are spectacularly cartoony and fun. Every kid, and adult, will be wanting to have telekinetic powers like Matilda. There’s also a touching and wondrous score that helps tie everything together in a neat little package that we all get to enjoy.
Even almost 30 years later, Matilda still lets you feel like a kid, and it’ll have you pulling for the titular prodigy as she harnesses her powers and uses them for the benefit of those around her. If ever there was a film that addresses child abuse without flinching and still manages to end on a hopeful note, it’s Matilda.