--- title: "The Magic Faraway Tree" year: 2026 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-magic-faraway-tree" fi1m_id: "the-magic-faraway-tree" imdb_id: "tt7734244" tmdb_id: 1140521 wikidata_id: "Q126930033" fi1m_score: 64 critics_score: 66 critics_reviews: 8 published: "2026-09-09" updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:44.206566+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Magic Faraway Tree (2026) Directed by Ben Gregor · 1h 50m · MPA PG · Adventure, Family, Fantasy ## Identity The Magic Faraway Tree - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-magic-faraway-tree - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** the-magic-faraway-tree - **IMDb ID:** tt7734244 - **TMDB ID:** 1140521 - **Wikidata ID:** Q126930033 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7734244/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1140521, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q126930033 **Fi1m score: 64** · Critics 66 from 8 reviews *In a sentence:* Everyone in the tree is delightful and nobody in the film is ever in the slightest danger > Simon Farnaby’s adaptation of Enid Blyton is bright, kind and often funny, with a cast who know exactly what sort of film they are in. It is also so determined that nothing should worry anyone that not much happens for long. ## Synopsis Three children, Fran (Billie Gadsdon), Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy) and Joe (Phoenix Laroche), arrive in the countryside with their parents Tim (Andrew Garfield) and Polly (Claire Foy) and their grandmother (Jennifer Saunders). In a nearby wood stands a tree whose top reaches into the clouds, and in its branches live Silky (Nicola Coughlan), Moonface (Nonso Anozie), the Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns) and Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning). At the top, different lands arrive and drift away again, some friendly and some, like the school run by Dame Snap (Rebecca Ferguson), less so. Ben Gregor directs from a script by Simon Farnaby, who also appears as Farmer Brian, adapting Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree books for a family with phones in their pockets. ## Review Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree books, the first of them published in 1939, have almost no plot. Children climb a tree, a land arrives at the top, they look round it, and they come home for tea. Simon Farnaby, who co-wrote *Paddington 2*, has been asked to find a film in that, and Ben Gregor directs what he found. Their answer is to give the Thompson children an ordinary modern family, phones and all, and to make the tree the place where none of that counts. It is a sensible answer. It also leaves the film with 110 minutes to fill and nothing much pressing on anyone, and it never quite solves that. The children are good. Billie Gadsdon, as Fran, carries more of the film than anyone and does it without the pushed brightness child leads are usually asked for; she looks at things before she reacts to them. Delilah Bennett-Cardy and Phoenix Laroche, as Beth and Joe, are given the jobs of doubting and sulking and do them with some grace. Andrew Garfield plays their father Tim as a man whose cheerfulness is running slightly ahead of his circumstances, and Claire Foy, as Polly, gets the harder part, the parent who has to be sensible, and gets laughs from it anyway. Jennifer Saunders turns up as Grandma and does exactly what you would hire Jennifer Saunders to do. Up the tree the casting is broader and the film is happier. Nicola Coughlan’s Silky is warm and slightly harassed, a fairy who has plainly dealt with children before. Nonso Anozie’s Moonface is a big gentle presence under a round pale face, and he finds the right pitch, never quite as excited as the children want him to be. Dustin Demri-Burns clanks about as the Saucepan Man, hung with pans by the costume designer Ann Maskrey, and mishears everything on cue. We laughed more than we expected to, and the laugh that caught us out was Jessica Gunning’s Dame Washalot, who empties her tub down the trunk with the calm of someone who has been doing it for decades and sees no reason to stop. Rebecca Ferguson’s Dame Snap, all teeth and hairpins, is the nearest thing to a threat, and she is on screen for about as long as a threat in a U certificate is allowed to be. Alexandra Walker has built the tree as a thing that looks built: painted bark, doors on hinges, a slide that is plainly a slide. That is the right decision for Blyton, whose worlds were always nursery furniture rather than cathedrals. Zac Nicholson lights all of it in full sun, every colour turned up, no shadow anywhere, and for an hour this is lovely. After an hour it becomes the problem. Nothing is ever dim enough to be frightening, and a tree whose lands drift away without warning ought to be a little frightening, or nobody minds when one drifts. Isabella Summers’s score is quick and chiming and tells us to be delighted a beat before we have decided. Gary Dollner cuts the visits to the lands as sketches, one after another, and a sketch ends when the joke does. So the film stops and starts, and each stop lets a little air out. Somewhere around the seventy-minute mark we noticed we had not once worried whether anyone would get down the tree, and that the film had arranged things so we never would. We were not bored, exactly. We were comfortable, and comfortable is a low ambition for a film about a tree that touches other worlds. *Paddington 2* had the same kindness and the same care for its jokes, and it also had a plot, a stolen book and a prison and a man who wanted something. Farnaby knows how this is done, and here he has chosen not to do it, or the books would not let him. Whichever it was, the people in the tree are in a better film than the people in the house, and the house gets more of the running time. Take children under eight and they will be happy for the full 110 minutes; it carries a U and earns it. Adults get Foy, Saunders and Gunning, and a pleasant hour and three-quarters of sitting in sunshine with nothing at stake. *Fi1m score 64, published 9 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics like it, with reservations that cluster in the same place. The praise goes to the cast, with Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy and Coughlan named repeatedly, and to the production design, which several reviews find hand-made and faithful to the look of the books. Simon Farnaby’s screenplay is credited with giving a plotless source a heart and some gentle wit, and most reviews agree the modern updates are handled sensibly. The reservations are about sweetness and stakes: the film is called twee more than once, the plot is said to meander, and comparisons to Paddington and to Farnaby’s other adaptations do it no favours. The spread is wide. The Hollywood Reporter finds it exhausting for anyone but the youngest viewers, and The Times calls the screenplay a muddle of skits; Variety finds it pleasant but cautious and not funny enough. Everyone else lands somewhere between decent and good. ## Straight answers **Is The Magic Faraway Tree worth watching?** *The Magic Faraway Tree* is worth watching if you have children under eight, who will be happy for all 110 minutes; we scored it 64. It is bright, kind and often funny, with Nicola Coughlan, Nonso Anozie and Jessica Gunning on good form up the tree, but nothing is ever at stake and adults may find it pleasant rather than gripping. **How long is The Magic Faraway Tree, and what is it rated?** *The Magic Faraway Tree* runs 1h 50m and is rated PG by the MPA in the US. It is an adventure and family film. **Where can I watch The Magic Faraway Tree in the US?** *The Magic Faraway Tree* is not on any streaming or rental service in the US at the moment. It is available in 8 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How does The Magic Faraway Tree compare to Paddington 2?** *The Magic Faraway Tree* shares its kindness and its care for jokes with [*Paddington 2*](https://film.one/film/paddington-2), which Simon Farnaby also co-wrote, but the earlier film is the better of the two because it has a plot underneath the warmth. *Paddington 2* gives its characters something to want and someone to stop them; the Faraway Tree drifts from one sketch to the next with nobody in danger, which suits the youngest viewers and few others. **What should I watch after The Magic Faraway Tree?** After *The Magic Faraway Tree*, try [*Paddington 2*](https://film.one/film/paddington-2) (2017, Fi1m 91): Farnaby’s other gentle film, and the one where the kindness has a plot underneath it. Then [*My Neighbour Totoro*](https://film.one/film/my-neighbor-totoro) (1988, Fi1m 89): Two sisters, a new house in the country, and a wood that is quietly, properly magic; and [*Wolfwalkers*](https://film.one/film/wolfwalkers) (2020, Fi1m 84): Hand-drawn Irish fantasy that trusts children to cope with an actual threat. ### Reviews we read (12) - **The i Paper**, Francesca Steele (85/100, inferred): The critic argues the film successfully updates the story for modern audiences while preserving its iconic sense of freedom, wonder, and adventure. Changes to characters and details are defended as necessary and effective, rendering the result brilliant. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/enid-blyton-hated-magic-faraway-tree-brilliant-4314091) - **Empire**, Helen O’Hara (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the adaptation works thanks to gentle wit and an emotional centre from screenwriter Simon Farnaby, despite the source material lacking a strong plot. Odd design choices and pantomime-like characters are noted, but there is just enough heart and humour to make the film enchanting. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-magic-faraway-tree/) - **The AV Club**, Chloe Walker (B-): The review describes the film as a likeable, whimsy-filled romp that captures the shaggy, meandering charm of a child excitedly telling a story, with strong performances from the child actors and the parents. It notes that the plot often feels overshadowed by comparisons to other children's classics like Narnia, Oz, and Wonka, and lacks narrative discipline. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-magic-faraway-tree-review) - **Time Out**, Phil de Semlyen (3/5): The film offers a smart, good-natured update of the Blyton stories for the smartphone era with a game cast and positive vibes, though the stakes feel low compared to other Farnaby adaptations. It delivers fun family entertainment with thoughtful messages despite some uneven comedy styles. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-magic-faraway-tree-review-2026) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Frank Scheck (25/100, inferred): The critic finds the adaptation relentlessly twee and sugary to the point of being exhausting for anyone but the youngest viewers, with an overstuffed plot and manic cutesiness from the leads. The imaginative costume and makeup designs along with the brightly colored visuals are singled out as the film's most notable aspects, though even those eventually wear thin. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-magic-faraway-tree-review-claire-foy-andrew-garfield-1236666316/) - **Screen Daily**: The adaptation blends wide-eyed wonder and whimsical humour with a modern update to the classic story, keeping its heart while gently refreshing it for contemporary audiences. It highlights visually faithful production design and strong family appeal ahead of its UK release. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-magic-faraway-tree-review-charming-enid-blyton-adaptation-roots-itself-in-childhood-magic/5215163.article) - **The Guardian**: The adaptation is a thoroughly likable and sweet-natured family fantasy with innocent jollity and eccentric quirkiness. The critic singles out the lively performances, sharp gags, and character turns from the cast for praise. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/mar/23/the-magic-faraway-tree-review-spruced-up-blyton-with-foy-and-garfield-proves-fruitful) - **The Times**: The film is a muddled mess that collapses into piecemeal skits and awkward flights of fancy. The critic singles out the screenplay for harsh criticism, arguing it mishandles the source material's issues. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/magic-faraway-tree-review-enid-blyton-p2pm7v5gm) - **Variety**, Guy Lodge: The critic finds it a wholesome, harmless family movie that updates Enid Blyton's classic with a Paddington-like treatment but results in pleasant yet overly cautious and unfunny whimsy. They single out the charming cast performances, especially Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy, for praise amid the safe, sunny tone. [Read](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/the-magic-faraway-tree-review-1236840728/) - **HeyUGuys**, Linda Marric (4/5): The film is a sweet, modern family adventure that reworks Enid Blyton's stories into a fast-moving, gag-filled romp preserving the source's sense of wonder. It succeeds through its humor, eccentric supporting characters, and nostalgic whimsy, delivering cheerful entertainment for family audiences despite lacking deeper emotional complexity. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-magic-faraway-tree-review/) - **Digital Spy**, Ian Sandwell (75/100, inferred): The critic finds it a wholesome, funny and sweet fantasy comedy ideal for family Easter viewing. It praises the charming cast (especially Coughlan) and modern tweaks to the source material, while noting it falls short of Paddington 2 heights and has some twee moments. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a70834888/magic-faraway-tree-review/) - **The Wrap** (75/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as a refreshing, endearing, and innocent adaptation that offers a tender ode to childlike wonder and idle imagination in a genre often dominated by high-stakes adventures. They single out the hand-crafted, charming production design that evokes older, more imaginative filmmaking and the lovable performances by Garfield, Foy, and the young cast. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/reviews/the-magic-faraway-tree-review-andrew-garfield/) ## Details - **Director:** Ben Gregor - **Director:** Ben Gregor - **Writer:** Simon Farnaby - **Cinematography:** Zac Nicholson - **Editor:** Gary Dollner - **Music:** Isabella Summers - **Production design:** Alexandra Walker - **Costume design:** Ann Maskrey - **Producer:** Pippa Harris, Nicolas Brown, Jane Hooks - **Cast:** Billie Gadsdon as Fran Thompson; Nicola Coughlan as Silky; Delilah Bennett-Cardy as Beth Thompson; Phoenix Laroche as Joe Thompson; Nonso Anozie as Moonface; Andrew Garfield as Tim Thompson; Rebecca Ferguson as Dame Snap; Claire Foy as Polly Thompson - **Runtime:** 1h 50m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG - **Release (the US):** 21 August 2026 - **Genres:** Adventure, Family, Fantasy - **Box office:** $32 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAUEwUhAjzg ## Where to watch in the US Not streaming, renting or buying in the US at the last check. Also available in: AT, AU, CA, CH, DE, GB, NZ, PL. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Paddington 2* (2017), Fi1m 91: Farnaby’s other gentle film, and the one where the kindness has a plot underneath it — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/paddington-2.md) - *My Neighbour Totoro* (1988), Fi1m 89: Two sisters, a new house in the country, and a wood that is quietly, properly magic — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/my-neighbor-totoro.md) - *Bedknobs and Broomsticks* (1971): Evacuee children, a reluctant guardian, and lands visited by furniture rather than tree - *The Secret Garden* (1993): Agnieszka Holland’s version, where the English countryside is allowed to be a little cold - *Wolfwalkers* (2020), Fi1m 84: Hand-drawn Irish fantasy that trusts children to cope with an actual threat — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/wolfwalkers.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-magic-faraway-tree