The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

"Let the mystery unfold."

2018 1h 39m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 2,273

FamilyFantasyAdventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When Clara’s mother leaves her a mysterious gift, she embarks on a journey to four secret realms—where she discovers her greatest strength could change the world.

“Let the mystery unfold.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Mackenzie Foy
Clara Stahlbaum
Jayden Fowora-Knight
Captain Phillip Hoffman
Tom Sweet
Fritz Stahlbaum
Keira Knightley
Sugar Plum Fairy
Helen Mirren
Mother Ginger
Morgan Freeman
Drosselmeyer
Eugenio Derbez
Hawthorne
Matthew Macfadyen
Benjamin Stahlbaum

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Lasse Hallström
Writers: Marius Petipa, E. T. A. Hoffmann, Oscar Wright
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

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

MONEY

Did you know

$120M budget — tentpole studio territory.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 8 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CAST

Did you know

255+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Lasse Hallström, shot by Linus Sandgren. 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 James Newton Howard. 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 Stuart Levy 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

Mackenzie Foy and Jayden Fowora-Knight and Tom Sweet carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Let the mystery unfold.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Lasse Hallström directs. Linus Sandgren behind the camera. James Newton Howard scores. Stuart Levy cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1$120M budget — tentpole studio territory.
2Released 8 years ago.
3255+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
4Directed by Lasse Hallström, shot by Linus Sandgren. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by James Newton Howard. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Stuart Levy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Mackenzie Foy and Jayden Fowora-Knight and Tom Sweet carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Let the mystery unfold.".
9IMDB entry: tt5523010 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Linus Sandgren
Original score: James Newton Howard
Editing: Stuart Levy
Production design: Guy Hendrix Dyas
Costume design: Jenny Beavan
Makeup / hair: Jenny Shircore
VFX supervisor: Max Wood
Sound: Michael Barry
Stunt coordinator: Adam Kirley
Runtime: 99 min · 1h 39m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $120,000,000
Box office: $173,961,069
Return: 145% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)

Also by

Lasse Hallström

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Community reviews

What people are saying

bigchrisdye2018-11-09
★ 6/10
Okay so this was not my first choice to see this movie but I admit I did it and I wasn't actually too pissed off I did It made me smile and feel all christmasy like I totally recommend you don't count this out yet it's a great trip To the cinema
r96sk2020-11-17
★ 6/10
Not necessarily bad, just pretty lame. <em>'The Nutcracker and the Four Realms'</em> is a harmless and simple film, fine I guess for the festive period. As a whole, though, it isn't good - despite neat effects and a couple of big names. Keira Knightley (Sugar Plum), Helen Mirren (Mother Ginger) and Morgan Freeman (Drosselmeyer) are familiar faces and are enjoyable on a base level, but their characters are rather forgettable. Mackenzie Foy (Clara) and Jayden Fowora-Knight (Philip) are decent together, while Jack Whitehall (Harlequin) and Omid Djalili (Cavalier) are smart casts - if underused. It's the plot that lets this down, it just all makes for underwhelming viewing - I, personally, never got into it. The beats of the story are quite predictable, especially the main twist. As noted though, the special effects are pleasant enough - as is the Xmas vibe it sets throughout. Very meh. You could watch worse, mind.
CinemaSerf2022-12-25
★ 5/10
When "Clara" (Mackenzie Foy) follows a mysterious golden thread she finds herself in a magical kingdom that it turns out - from her new "Nutcracker" friend "Capt. Philip" (Jayden Fowora-Knight) - is ruled by her mother! This is confirmed by the great and the good at her castle, whereupon she must announce that her mother is no more. Does that make her queen? Well there are certainly a few flies in that particular ointment and it falls to the young girl and her brave military friend to thwart a plan to usurp the kingdom and restore peace and tranquility. This has had the full Disney treatment: it looks stunning, costumes and sets and visual effects all complemented well by a James Newton Howard score that draws occasionally on Tchaikovsky's original themes. Thing is, though, the rest of the narrative is all over the shop. The characterisations are muddled and derivative with Keira Knightley's seriously hammed-up "Sugar Plum" straight of the "Hunger Games" and Dame Helen Mirren's "Mother Ginger" featuring all too sparingly to rescue this rambling and disappointing story. The eagle-eyed amongst us might spot Richard E. Grant and about half way through, there is quite a charming ballet sequence but sadly the gist of this film is really lacking. Unfortunately, lots of style but little of substance here. Looks good, though.