Astonish Me

2011 0h 7m EN

🙌

8.0

BANGER

★8.0TMDB · 3

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When a young boy gets locked in the Natural History Museum after closing, a mysterious guard gives him a magical ticket that allows him to visit a restricted area of the museum, where a professor and a guide show him examples of the wondrous new species of animals being discovered every day on Earth.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Gemma Arterton
The Guide
Bill Nighy
The Professor
Christian McKay
The Museum Guard
Anthony Gopaul
Museum Attendant
Will Jacklin
Archie

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Charles Sturridge
Writers: Stephen Poliakoff
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 7-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 15 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Charles Sturridge, shot by Henry Braham. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Adrian Johnston. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Andy Packer shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Gemma Arterton and Bill Nighy and Christian McKay carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt2061580 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Charles Sturridge directs. Henry Braham behind the camera. Adrian Johnston scores. Andy Packer cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 7-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Released 15 years ago.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Charles Sturridge, shot by Henry Braham. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Adrian Johnston. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Andy Packer shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Gemma Arterton and Bill Nighy and Christian McKay carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt2061580 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 3 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.