The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

2023 0h 39m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 1,520

FantasyAdventureDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A rich man learns about a guru who can see without using his eyes. He sets out to master the skill in order to cheat at gambling.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Ralph Fiennes
Roald Dahl / Policeman
Benedict Cumberbatch
Henry Sugar / Make-Up Artist
Dev Patel
Dr. Chatterjee / John Winston
Ben Kingsley
Imdad Khan / Croupier
Richard Ayoade
Dr. Marshall / Yogi
Jarvis Cocker
Canasta Player / Manor Guest / Friend of Henry Sugar / Casino Entrance Man
Rebecca Cornford
Canasta Player / Manor Guest / Friend of Henry Sugar / Casino Guest / Hospital Nurse
David Gant
Casino Croupier

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Wes Anderson
Writers: Jay Clarke, Roald Dahl, Roald Dahl
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 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 39-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 3 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Wes Anderson, shot by Robert D. Yeoman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Ralph Fiennes and Benedict Cumberbatch and Dev Patel carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt16968450 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Wes Anderson directs. Robert D. Yeoman behind the camera. Barney Pilling cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 39-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
3Released 3 years ago.
4Directed by Wes Anderson, shot by Robert D. Yeoman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Barney Pilling shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Ralph Fiennes and Benedict Cumberbatch and Dev Patel carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt16968450 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 15 themes, including "london, england", "card game", "casino", "based on novel or book".

The technical file

Cinematography: Robert D. Yeoman
Editing: Barney Pilling
Production design: Adam Stockhausen
Costume design: Kasia Walicka Maimone
Makeup / hair: Frances Hannon
VFX supervisor: Mark Harrison
Sound: Chris Scarabosio
Stunt coordinator: Arran Topham
Runtime: 39 min · 0h 39m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $4,000,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

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Wes Anderson

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Manuel São Bento2023-09-10
★ 8/10
MORE SPOILER-FREE MINI-REVIEWS @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/mini-reviews-2023-edition "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is such a fun, delightful, brilliant palate cleanser to watch during any festival. Wes Anderson’s unique style works phenomenally well with short runtimes. 39 minutes of quirky yet intriguing entertainment." Rating: A-
Alunauwie2025-09-30
★ 9/10
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, adapted from Roald Dahl’s 1977 short story, presents a simple yet layered narrative in a theatrical and visually striking way. Delivered like a grand stage play, the film blends storytelling and performance, offering multiple character perspectives through rich narration and stylized set designs. Though its fast pacing may challenge non-native English speakers, the film remains engaging, with well-developed characters and a compelling internal conflict at its core. Stunning visuals, sharp transitions, and dynamic acting make this a must-watch for fans of unique cinematic storytelling. Read the full review here: (Indonesian version : alunauwie.com) and (English version : uwiepuspita.com)
CinemaSerf2026-09-23
★ 7/10
"Henry" (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a wealthy gambler who is just a little too preoccupied with himself to care about anyone else. That means he's bored. As we learn from narrator Roald Dahl (Ralph Fiennes) he can never be rich enough, and the more he gets the more he wants - but he's always unfulfilled. Then he is invited to a country house for the weekend and finding himself in it's library, opens a small hardbacked notebook that tells him all about an Indian gent with quite an unique gift. Travelling entertainer "Imdad Khan" (Sir Ben Kingsley) had arrived at the hospital of surgeon "Chatterjee" (Dev Patel) claiming to be able to see without the use of his eyes. Using a combination of glue, dough and bandages they accede to his wish that they makes it obvious to his would-be audience that seeing would be impossible, and then he proceeds to prove his point. Just think what he could do with a man like that at the card table, thinks "Henry". Could he train himself to do the same thing and cut out the middleman? Well now with an new venally motivated purpose, he sets about dedicating the rest of his life to acquiring that same skill. Snag? Well, instead of telling him where the aces are - it tells him about problems in his own innards. Facing some fairly stark news, he wonders if this really all his life is going to amount to, or might he be able to use his new found gift to create other gifts for the vulnerable and the poverty-stricken? There's something rewardingly theatrical about this short feature. We feel as if we are sitting in the seat of a theatre whilst these three characters appear and regale us with a story snappily, colourfully and quite poignantly presented. Yep, there's an huge great moral - but we are not being indoctrinated by Wes Anderson (or Roald Dahl), we are being shown (or warned?) just how people with luck rarely appreciate or are satiated by it, and Cumberbatch and Patel's rapid-fire delivery coupled with one of the few occasions in which I've seen Sir Ben with hair make this funny to watch - especially Fiennes's policeman - but thoughtful, too.