--- title: "Wolfwalkers" year: 2020 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/wolfwalkers" fi1m_id: "wolfwalkers" imdb_id: "tt5198068" tmdb_id: 441130 wikidata_id: "Q68681463" fi1m_score: 84 critics_score: 87 critics_reviews: 21 published: "2026-09-30T20:16:50.641194+00:00" updated: "2026-09-30T20:16:51.296714+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." --- # Wolfwalkers (2020) Directed by Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart · 1h 42m · MPA PG · Animation, Family, Adventure, Fantasy ## Identity Wolfwalkers - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/wolfwalkers - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** wolfwalkers - **IMDb ID:** tt5198068 - **TMDB ID:** 441130 - **Wikidata ID:** Q68681463 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5198068/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/441130, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q68681463 **Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 87 from 21 reviews *In a sentence:* A town drawn with a ruler, a forest drawn with a pencil that will not sit still, and two girls running between them > Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart draw the town in hard lines and the wood in loose pencil, and it is the best-looking hand-drawn film we have seen in years. The villain is a stick figure and the story a familiar shape. We recommend it anyway. ## Synopsis Kilkenny, 1650. The English have taken the town, the Lord Protector (Simon McBurney) has ordered the forest outside its walls cut down, and Bill Goodfellowe (Sean Bean), a hunter from England, has been brought over to kill the wolves in it. His daughter Robyn (Honor Kneafsey) wants to hunt beside him. He wants her indoors, scrubbing pots under the housekeeper Bridget (Nora Twomey). Robyn sneaks past the gate into the wood and meets Mebh Óg MacTíre (Eva Whittaker), a barefoot, red-haired girl who lives with the pack and is a wolfwalker: a girl awake, a wolf asleep. Mebh’s mother, Moll (Maria Doyle Kennedy), has gone missing. Before the two girls part, Mebh bites Robyn on the arm. ## Review Kilkenny, 1650. The English hold the town, the Lord Protector has ordered the forest cleared, and Bill Goodfellowe, a hunter brought over from England, has been given the job of killing every wolf in it. His daughter Robyn wants to go with him. He wants her in the scullery. Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, working from a script by Will Collins, take that kitchen quarrel and grow it into a fable about who is allowed to be wild. It is the third film Cartoon Saloon has drawn from Irish folklore, after [*The Secret of Kells*](https://film.one/film/the-secret-of-kells) and [*Song of the Sea*](https://film.one/film/song-of-the-sea), and it is the best made of the three. We recommend it warmly, with the caveat that its villain is a stick figure and its story a shape you will know before the halfway mark. The first thing to say is how it looks, because the look is the argument. Moore, Stewart and Maria Pareja design the town as a woodcut: straight lines, right angles, grey stone, brown timber, every shot boxed in by walls, the townsfolk flat as figures on a playing card. The forest is drawn the other way round, in loose pencil with the construction lines left showing, curves everywhere, watercolour bleeding past the edges. Mebh’s hair is a red scribble that never quite stays on her head. When Robyn climbs over the wall the film loosens with her, and nobody has to say a word about freedom. Then there is the running. When a wolf moves through the wood the picture goes to black and the world is redrawn in scent: glowing threads of colour trailing off rabbits and woodsmoke and frightened men, charcoal and light, the ground rushing past at nose height. We sat up. We have watched a great many animated forests and had never seen one drawn from the inside of a dog. Editors Richie Cody, Darren T. Holmes and Darragh Byrne split the screen into three and four panels when the girls run together, so you get the leap and the landing and the laugh at once, and for a minute or two it feels like being eight and out of breath. Bruno Coulais writes for whistle, drum and low voices, and has the sense to go quiet and let you hear paws on leaves. The voices are well chosen. Honor Kneafsey plays Robyn as a careful, proper child who wants badly to be useful, and Eva Whittaker’s Mebh is all appetite and elbows; the film is funniest when she is eating. Sean Bean gives Bill a tired, low voice, a man doing a cruel job because he is frightened for his daughter and cannot say so. There is a scene between the two of them in the kitchen, Bill at his work and Robyn arguing, in which Bean says almost nothing and we were more moved than the scene had any right to make us. It was the pauses that did it. Tommy Tiernan and Jon Kenny fill the streets with grumbling; Maria Doyle Kennedy has less to do than she deserves, for a reason the story sets up early. The weaknesses are mostly in the town. Simon McBurney’s Lord Protector is a murmur about the Lord’s will and a set jaw, and that is all Collins gives him. The politics are drawn with a thick marker: English straight lines bad, Irish curves good. That is a fair account of 1650, but a fable with a better villain would be a better fable, and this one could have used a man who believed he was right rather than a man who simply glowers. The story follows the path *Song of the Sea* wore in: a child with a secret that turns her into an animal, a parent who will not listen, a wild mother lost. The last movement has a siege and a stampede and ends with rather less blood than it has been promising, which is the right decision for a PG and a slightly soft one for a film about wolves. We did not mind as much as we expected to. We were watching the lines. Set against its ancestors, it sits a long way below [*Princess Mononoke*](https://film.one/film/princess-mononoke), which it clearly admires and which trusted its audience with a harder argument, and comfortably above most of what has been drawn by hand since. At 102 minutes it wastes little. Watch it with a child if you have one to hand. If you do not, watch it anyway, and notice how long it takes before you stop seeing the pencil and start seeing the wood. *Fi1m score 84, published 30 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews are close to unanimous: this is a Cartoon Saloon film that critics admire, and most admire it a great deal. The praise clusters on the hand-drawn animation, and on the way the film draws its two worlds differently, the oppressive town set against a vivid, living forest. Several critics single out the wolf’s-eye sequences and Mebh’s design, and the friendship between the two girls is often named as the thing that holds the story together. A number also credit the film with thematic weight, on nature, colonialism and belonging. The spread is narrow and the reservations are small. Sight and Sound finds it hugely successful but not much of an advance on Moore’s earlier work, with thin adult characters and too little use of Robyn’s lupine vision. Slant thinks the ecological and religious ideas stay vague. HeyUGuys notes that a bloodless climax takes some edge off the peril. Nobody dislikes it. ## Straight answers **Is Wolfwalkers worth watching?** *Wolfwalkers* is worth watching for anyone who cares how a hand-drawn film looks, and we scored it 84. The town is drawn in hard woodcut lines and the forest in loose pencil, and the wolf-scent sequences are unlike anything we have seen in an animated wood. The villain is thin and the story a familiar shape, but we recommend it warmly, with or without a child beside you. **How long is Wolfwalkers, and what is it rated?** *Wolfwalkers* runs 1h 42m and is rated PG by the MPA in the US. It is an animation and family film. **Where can I watch Wolfwalkers in the US?** *Wolfwalkers* is streaming on Apple TV, The Roku Channel and Amazon Prime Video in the US. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How does Wolfwalkers compare to Song of the Sea?** *Wolfwalkers* is the better-made film of the two, though [*Song of the Sea*](https://film.one/film/song-of-the-sea) has the more openly aching story. Both come from Cartoon Saloon and both turn on a child who becomes an animal and a parent who will not listen, but the later film moves faster and wastes less. Choose *Song of the Sea* for grief and a selkie; choose *Wolfwalkers* for the drawing, and for the running. **What should I watch after Wolfwalkers?** After *Wolfwalkers*, try [*Song of the Sea*](https://film.one/film/song-of-the-sea) (2014, Fi1m 82): The same studio, a selkie instead of a wolf, and the same watercolour ache. Then [*Princess Mononoke*](https://film.one/film/princess-mononoke) (1997, Fi1m 88): Miyazaki’s wolves and forest gods, drawn for grown-ups who were once frightened children; and [*Watership Down*](https://film.one/film/watership-down) (1978, Fi1m 81): English fields, English cruelty, and animals who know exactly what men are for. ### Reviews we read (21) - **Time Out**, Phil de Semlyen (5/5): The review presents the film as a magical, clearly praised return from Cartoon Saloon. It singles out the film’s mythical magic as its appeal. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/wolfwalkers) - **Empire**, John Nugent (95/100, inferred): Nugent gives the film an enthusiastic verdict, calling it a treat and praising its extraordinary craft. He singles out the lush hand-drawn animation and visual storytelling as especially magical. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/wolfwalkers/) - **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri (95/100, inferred): Ebiri is deeply enthusiastic, calling the film glorious and profound. He especially praises how its hand-drawn textures and shifting visual styles express feelings beyond the dialogue. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-wolfwalkers-an-animated-film-from-ireland.html) - **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich (A-): Ehrlich calls it the year’s best animated film so far and Cartoon Saloon’s most poignant feature. He especially praises its richly detailed, expressive animation and how its visuals deepen the story’s themes of nature and colonialism. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/wolfwalkers-review-1234586219/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kevin Crust (90/100, inferred): Crust finds “Wolfwalkers” enchanting, stirring entertainment with sophisticated themes and a modern perspective. He particularly praises the fluid, colorful animation and the contrast between the wolves’ vibrant forest and the oppressive town. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-11-13/review-wolfwalkers-apple-tomm-moore) - **Screen Daily**, Allan Hunter (90/100, inferred): The critic suggests the film is destined to become an instant classic. The standfirst singles out its role as the conclusion to Cartoon Saloon’s Irish folklore trilogy. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/wolfwalkers-toronto-review/5153085.article) - **The Guardian**, Wendy Ide (90/100, inferred): Ide gives the film an exuberant, strongly positive verdict. She especially praises the animation’s artistry and its joyous energy. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/oct/31/wolfwalkers-review-cartoon-salon-tomm-moore) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Michael Rechtshaffen (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film visually dazzling, imaginative, and emotionally resonant. He especially praises its distinctive hand-drawn animation and contrasting visual styles. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/wolfwalkers-film-review-tiff-2020-4059333/) - **Variety**, Peter Debruge (90/100, inferred): Debruge praises the film as a visually stunning, culturally thoughtful fairy tale with empowering female characters. He especially singles out its inventive, hand-tooled animation and Mebh’s vivid design. [Read](https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/wolfwalkers-review-what-big-eyes-youll-have-watching-tomm-moores-revisionist-fairy-tale-1234768102/) - **Little White Lies**, Kambole Campbell (4/4/5): The critic calls the film a beautiful, intelligent and rousing revisionist fable. They praise its astonishing art direction, especially the contrast between the town and the forest. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/wolfwalkers) - **Radio Times**, Trevor Johnston (4/5): Johnston gives the animated adventure a positive assessment. He singles out its beautiful animation and its story of a girl whose friendship changes her outlook. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-f4yep7/wolfwalkers/) - **Sight and Sound**, BFI (78/100, inferred): The review finds the film hugely successful, though it does not go much beyond Moore’s earlier work. It praises the expressive, vividly composed animation, while faulting the limited use of Robyn’s lupine vision and thin adult characters. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/wolfwalkers-tomm-moore-ross-stewart-irish-occupation-forest-spirits) - **Slant Magazine**, Dan Rubins (3/4): Rubins finds the film lovely and evocative, though its ecological and religious themes are imprecise. He particularly praises the vivid, hand-drawn animation and its striking wolf’s-eye view of the forest. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review-wolfwalkers-vibrantly-confronts-and-plays-on-the-fear-of-the-unknown/) - **The New York Times** (65/100, inferred): The URL identifies this as a review, but the page returned only an access error, so its verdict cannot be determined. No specific element can be reliably identified as praised or criticized. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/12/movies/wolfwalkers-review.html) - **Collider**, Drew Taylor (A): The critic calls Wolfwalkers an essential animated film that feels like a new classic. They especially praise its striking, inventive animation and its emotionally powerful story. [Read](https://collider.com/wolfwalkers-review-apple-tv-plus/) - **/Film**, Hoai-Tran Bui (9.5/10): The critic calls the film a masterwork and a singular animation experience. They especially praise its breathtaking, energetic hand-drawn animation and vivid visual style. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/577789/wolfwalkers-review/) - **Polygon**, Karen Han (95/100, inferred): The critic calls it one of the year’s most impressive films and Cartoon Saloon’s best work yet. She especially praises its distinctive, kinetic animation and expressive character designs. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/entertainment/2020/9/15/21438560/wolfwalkers-review-apple-tv-plus/) - **Paste**, Andy Crump (9.3/10): Crump calls the film a stunning achievement and the best of Tomm Moore’s career. He especially praises its vivid, purposeful animation and the way it brings its contrasting worlds to life. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/wolfwalkers-review) - **Eye for Film**, Jennie Kermode (85/100, inferred): Kermode finds the film a beautifully presented fable that works for children and adults alike. She especially praises its seamless, flowing animation and the possibilities of traditional 2D work. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/wolfwalkers-2020-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) - **The Wrap**, Alonso Duralde (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the film charming, exciting, and thought-provoking, with lessons that resonate across generations. They especially praise its inventive animation and vivid visual styles. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/wolfwalkers-film-review-tomm-moore/) - **HeyUGuys** (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the film an effective, emotionally engaging animated folktale, with only its bloodless climax slightly weakening the peril. They praise the tender, relatable friendship between Robyn and Mebh. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/wolfwalkers-review/) ## Details - **Director:** Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart - **Director:** Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart - **Screenplay:** Will Collins - **Story:** Ross Stewart, Tomm Moore - **Editor:** Richie Cody, Darragh Byrne, Darren T. Holmes - **Music:** Bruno Coulais - **Production design:** Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Maria Pareja - **Producer:** Paul Young, Nora Twomey, Stéphan Roelants - **Cast:** Honor Kneafsey as Robyn Goodfellowe (voice); Eva Whittaker as Mebh Óg MacTíre (voice); Sean Bean as Robyn's Father, Bill Goodfellowe (voice); Simon McBurney as Lord Protector (voice); Tommy Tiernan as Sean Óg (voice); Maria Doyle Kennedy as Mebh's Mother, Moll MacTíre (voice); Jon Kenny as Stringy Woodcutter, Ned (voice); John Morton as Stumpy Woodcutter (voice) - **Runtime:** 1h 42m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG - **Release (the US):** 13 November 2020 - **Genres:** Animation, Family, Adventure, Fantasy - **Budget:** $12 million - **Box office:** $1 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_Z_tybgPgg ## Where to watch in the US - Apple TV: streaming, uhd - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd - Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd *Checked 2026-09-30.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, SE, SG, TH, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - BAFTA Film Awards 2022: BAFTA's Children & Young People Award - Feature Film (won) - European Film Academy Young Audience Award 2021: European Film Academy Young Audience Award (nominated) - European Film Award for Best Animated Feature Film 2021: European Film Award for Best Animated Feature Film (nominated) - Academy Awards 2020: Best Animated Feature (nominated) - Critics' Choice Awards 2020: Best Animated Feature (nominated) ## If you liked this - *Song of the Sea* (2014), Fi1m 82: The same studio, a selkie instead of a wolf, and the same watercolour ache. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/song-of-the-sea.md) - *Princess Mononoke* (1997), Fi1m 88: Miyazaki’s wolves and forest gods, drawn for grown-ups who were once frightened children. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/princess-mononoke.md) - *Kirikou and the Sorceress* (1998): Michel Ocelot’s flat, bright West African fable, as plainly told as a bedtime story. - *Watership Down* (1978), Fi1m 81: English fields, English cruelty, and animals who know exactly what men are for. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/watership-down.md) - *Ernest & Célestine* (2012), Fi1m 84: A bear, a mouse, and a town of rules that deserve breaking, in soft pencil. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ernest-and-celestine.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/wolfwalkers