Kensuke's Kingdom

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kirk Hendry directs. Stuart Hancock scores. Richard Overall cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in France, Luxembourg, United Kingdom. Dialogue in English, Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 184 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
• 2Earned back only 27% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
• 3Released 2 years ago.
• 4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Japanese.
• 5International production across 3 countries: France, Luxembourg, United Kingdom.
• 6Original score by Stuart Hancock. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 7Editor Richard Overall shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 8Sally Hawkins and Cillian Murphy and Raffey Cassidy carry the top of the cast.
• 9IMDB entry: tt5674658 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 10Only 58 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
• 11Classified under 11 themes, including "based on novel or book", "world war ii", "pacifism", "orphan".

The technical file

Original score

Stuart Hancock

Editing

Richard Overall

Sound

Will Cohen

Runtime

84 min · 1h 24m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Budget

$11,000,000

Box office

$2,919,215

Return

27% of budget

Original language

EN

IMDB

Kensuke's Kingdom (2024) ↗

Rotten Tomatoes

97% 🍅 Fresh

IMDB rating

7.1/10 · 508 votes

MPAA

PG

Also by

Kirk Hendry

• 
  Junk

  2011 · ★ 5.0

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  :30 Trailer

  Teaser · Official
• 

  ▶
  Official UK Trailer

  Trailer · Official

Community reviews

What people are saying

• CinemaSerf2024-08-06
  ★ 7/10

  When his parents lose their jobs, they decide to sell up and spend a year circumnavigating the globe on their boat - the "Peggy Sue". Unbeknown to his parents, though, teenage son "Michael" has smuggled their dog "Stella" aboard and is feeding her from their supply of digestive biscuits! Of course this isn't a secret he can keep for long, and actually it shows us that "Michael" isn't actually the most grown up of boys as he seems to view parental instructions more like optional guidelines. That rather comes home to roost when a storm hits the boat and both he and his canine companion are washed overboard and then ashore a small island. There's no food, no water - and a baking sun, so you wouldn't think much for his chances - except. Well, they awake to find some hand-prepared sushi and freshly cracked coconut milk on the hollowed out log they were using as shelter. Maybe this island isn't as hostile as he'd first thought? Well the jellyfish certainly have it in for him, and that's when he meets his benefactor - an old gent who would appear to have been on the island for a very long time. Gradually, the two - with no common language - start to trust one and other and "Kensuke" starts to impart to the boy some of his own values as they learn to collaborate with nature on this increasingly attractive paradise. Desperate for rescue when he arrived - is he still so desperate now? We learn a little of the backstory of the island's sole human occupant which adds some richness, and some sadness, to two straightforwardly engaging characterisations and with an animation that reminded me a little, in style, of the "Snowman" (1982) and a fitting musical accompaniment from Stuart Hancock I found this to be a short, sweet and enjoyably poignant story of learning a little about self-reliance and not so much about self-importance.

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• 

  Lupus Films

  GB

• JI

  Jigsaw Films

• SP

  Spirit Base

• 

  BFI

  GB

• BR

  Brennus Productions

• 

  Film Fund Luxembourg

  LU

• 

  Ffilm Cymru Wales

  GB

• 

  Melusine Productions

  LU

• AL

  Align

• BU

  Bumpybox

• 

  Le Pacte

  FR

• 

  Bankside Films

  GB

Key crew

• Production CoordinatorAna Marisa Romualdo
• Foley ArtistPaula Boram
• Sound Effects EditorKaspar Broyd
• Visual Effects CompositorThomas Chew
• Sound Effects EditorJim Stewart
• Visual Effects CompositorJordanne Richards
• Visual Effects CompositorKlaudia Skalska
• Supervising Sound EditorWill Cohen
• Foley EditorRaphaela Dowding-Green
• Visual Effects CompositorMatt Hawker
• CastingLucy Bevan
• Sound Re-Recording MixerWill Cohen
• Sound DesignerWill Cohen
• Visual Effects CompositorKai Davies
• EditorRichard Overall
• Foley ArtistGareth Rhys Jones
• Dialogue EditorAdam Smyth
• Art DirectionMichael Shorten
• Production ManagerClare Hernon
• Foley EditorPaul Iché
• Score EngineerAdam Smyth
• Sound Mix TechnicianGeorge Elliott
• Foley MixerJulien Pirrie
• Visual Effects CompositorMaëlle Richard de Vesvrotte

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• based on novel or book
• world war ii
• pacifism
• orphan
• based on memoir or autobiography
• based on children's book
• unlikely friendship
• japanese soldier
• shipwrecked
• 1940s
• nagasaki, japan

Release history · US

When it landed

• Premiere2024-01-21· KidFilm Festival
• Premiere2024-03-16· New York International Children's Film Festival
• Theatrical2024-10-18

Also known as

International titles

• ケンスケの王国JP
• El Reino de KensukeMX