Stunning, thoughtful book adaptation celebrates friendship.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a little
Moments of mild tension when the boy and mole feel threatened by the fox. The fox threatens to kill the mole. A character nearly drowns but is saved. A winter storm presents danger to the travelers.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Teamwork and friendship are big themes. The love of family and the opportunity to create your own family are also addressed. Lots of advice is shared by the animals, including "life is difficult, but you are loved."
Positive Role Models
a lot
The boy is determined and kind. The mole is helpful and warm; the two work together to bring the best out of the hard-to-understand fox.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is a short film based on the popular children's book by Charlie Mackesy. It follows the journey of a boy (voiced by Jude Coward Nicoll) who's looking for home; on his way, he meets three animals who help and advise him on life's big questions. Expect a few moments of peril, such as when the other animals are threatened by the fox (Idris Elba) and when a character nearly drowns crossing a wild river. But overall this gentle special is beautifully animated and deliberately paced, and families of all ages will appreciate its lessons. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
One questionable moment of dialogue amidst an overall lovely message
At one point, the fox says, “if I weren’t caught in this snare, I’d kill you,” and the mole replies, “if you stay in this snare, you’ll die.” I was really caught off guard by that dialogue considering the existing reviews were really positive and parents rated the movie 3+. As someone who is particularly sensitive to the modeling (positive or negative) in films, I wish I had known the exact language before watching this with my kids. That being said, the overall message is fantastic, there is no other violence to speak of (although a few potentially scary moments of brief peril), and the slower pace is exactly what I look for when selecting media for my 3 and 5-year-old. Overall, it meets my high standards and my kids loved it. They laughed about the mole’s frequent musings over cake, and clapped with glee when the horse started to fly. Very strong messages about friendship and acceptance.
PS, the fox and the mole become friends, so we were able to frame the fox/ mole moment as a lesson in how powerful our choices can be (i.e., a fox normally eats moles, but chose to save the mole who showed him kindness; even when someone chooses to use unkind words with you, you can still choose to treat them nicely)
My five year old son enjoyed it and I loved watching it with him. It’s all the messages I wish I could get through to him, but in a loving, interesting way.
What's the Story?
A young boy quietly wanders a snowy landscape. He eventually meets a mole (Tom Hollander), and they begin traveling together. The boy is in search of his home, but he's not sure where it is. When the pair are pursued by a fox (voiced by Idris Elba) and meet a majestic horse (Gabriel Byrne), a gentle adventure ensues, and lots of wisdom is shared in the process.
For being so visually chilly, this short film absolutely radiates warmth and wonder. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is slightly otherworldly and a little haunting, like predecessors in tone The Snowman, Winnie the Pooh, and The Little Prince, but it's steeped in realistic natural landscapes and deceptively casual conversations. In lesser hands, the film and its many lessons could feel saccharine, but each line is grounded in authenticity, thanks to the writing and expert cast of British actors. It's a lovely new winter classic that families won't want to miss.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about family and home. What does it mean to have a home? A family? Do people have to be related to you to be family?
How does the boy form friendships with all the animals he meets over time? What challenges does he face in doing so?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Polly Conway
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
