Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children review – a fantasy film with a dark twist

‘Jacob finds a magical place ran by the mysterious Miss Peregrine.’

With his distinct visual style and Gothic sensibilities, Tim Burton is perfectly suited to adapt Ransom Riggs’ dark fantasy novel about an orphanage full of children with supernatural abilities. In fact, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children feels like a story that only Burton could do justice in adapting to the big screen as it’s filled with many of his trademark signatures. The story revolves around teenager Jake (Asa Butterfield), who after witnessing his Grandfather die under mysterious circumstances, finds himself thrust into a world of time loops, people with special abilities and monsters.

It has a very fantastical aesthetic to it, and is clearly trying to be the next Harry Potter-like series, which it very well could be as there are currently three books in this series. It also follows a familiar narrative structure with the tale of a young boy discovering there’s a hidden world beneath the one he lives in, which he’s part of. It’s an ambitious endeavor and Burton adapts the material well, but like most adaptations, struggles to find that balance of progressing the story and overloading on exposition for the uninitiated.

In truth, the plot can be quite complex at times with an in-depth mythology that needs to be established early on for anything else to make sense. As a result, the first half of the film feels very slow as it sets everything up and explains the rules and the players.

Where the film does succeed, is in Burton’s fearlessness in keeping a rather dark and twisted tone throughout, and with that some high stakes that will keep you invested in the story. He manages to create a genuine sense of danger for these characters, where the threat of death is very real.

Although based on a young adult novel, Burton isn’t afraid to show a very grown up and violent world, and not patronize the target audience. This is also aided by some extremely terrifying monsters called Hollows, tall, eyeless creatures with tentacles coming out of their mouth’s which will easily unnerve the adults as well as the younger audience; they will haunt your nightmares for weeks.

What also helps elevate the movie are some good performances from the cast. Eva Green does a great job in playing the caring but eccentric Miss Peregrine. It’s the sort of oddball character that Burton’s drawn to and Green does her great justice. Additionally, Butterfield, apart from a dodgy American accent, brings real heart to Jake, and as the main character we’re experiencing this world through, adds a real wide eyed wonderment to his performance. He’s also very likable and an easy protagonist to root for.

Apart from Ella Purnell’s Emma, who has great chemistry with Butterfield and presents a very compassionate and warm individual, the rest of the children are adequate but mostly there to showcase the various abilities they have, which can range from the more obvious like invisibility, or to the quirky like having a bee’s nest inside your stomach. As the main villain, Samuel L. Jackson feels like he’s phoning it in but still manages to play a functional antagonist, and besides, with the right context and those creepy zombie eyes does come off as quite intimidating and scary.

What the film also has going for it is some well-directed set pieces. Once you get past that painfully slow first half there is plenty of action on display which makes good use of the various powers at hand. This certainly bumps up the excitement, and with some striking visuals will create a fun experience for all.

‘After a couple of missteps in Alice in Wonderland (2010) and Dark Shadows (2012), Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is Burton back on form.’

It might get bogged down in setting the world up and have an overly complicated plot, but with an exciting second half and some great characters, we potentially have a good start to a great fantasy franchise.