The Willoughby (2020)

The Willoughby (2020)

4/10

Starring the voice of

Will Forte

Maya Rudolph

Alessia Cara

Directed by Kris Pearn

I didn’t enjoy this animation. While the story initially seemed to offer something different, it quickly turned into the same predictable narrative that was easy to guess.

The animation style felt lazy to me. I understand that the intention was to make it look silly and wobbly, reflecting the characters’ quirks, but it just didn’t work for me.

Then there’s the editing and some noticeable continuity issues. It left me wondering whether the movie deliberately left certain loose threads untied or if it was just sloppy directing. For instance, there’s a scene where the orphan police knew the nanny, and the complexity of Tim and his stance felt rushed. It seemed like there was more to the nanny’s character, but over-editing cut it all out.

Another example is the mother cutting the father’s mustache and his bizarre reaction—it felt like something significant was happening, but the movie just skipped over it.

As for the story, the Willoughby family was once known for great achievements, generation after generation. But this current generation is very different. The parents are a self-absorbed pair who neither love nor care for their four children. They starve them, lock them up, and avoid them as much as possible.

The eldest, Tim, takes it upon himself to care for his siblings: the confident and determined Jane and the resourceful twins, both named Barnaby (because the parents couldn’t bother to give them separate names).

One day, a baby is left at their doorstep. When the children bring the baby inside, the parents go berserk. Tim decides to handle the situation, which leads Jane to take the baby outside and leave it somewhere she believes it will be cared for. This experience gives Jane an idea: send their parents away on a vacation.

The kids plan it well, but what they didn’t plan for was the arrival of a nanny sent to care for them.

How the Willoughby children handle this unexpected obstacle and how things turn out for them in the end is what the movie is about.

I don’t understand how this Netflix animation has such high critical and audience ratings. Maybe there’s something I’m missing. From my perspective, this animation is a complete dud, and the story does not make me want to see the movie again. It is a very forgettable plot, so I am not going to expect to see a sequel of this movie anytime soon.