Based on the 2011 young adult novel of the same name written by Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is a visually well-crafted fantasy film about a group of children with magical and mysterious powers. It is directed by Tim Burton and has his trademark unique creativity that can border on the macabre. The plot follows Jack, played by Asa Butterfield, who tries to discover the true background of his grandfather, portrayed by Terence Stamp. It eventually leads him to a small isolated island off the coast of Wales and a home for orphaned children with unusual gifts. Jack realizes the orphanage run by Miss Peregrine, played by Eva Green, is trapped in an alternate universe set in 1943 on a certain day that is continuously repeated on a “loop.” Eventually, Jack is tasked with protecting the children from an evil secret group of beings who need to eat the eyes of Peculiar Children to become human. They are led by the creepy white-eyed Mr. Barron, depicted by Samuel L. Jackson, who also controls invisible creatures known as hollowgasts. Jack learns he is endowed with his own power making him particularly well suited to fight Mr. Barron’s forces. The movie is filled with many of the elements you would expect from Tim Burton, particularly nightmarish monsters that appear to come directly from his other films like The Nightmare Before Christmas. Overall, I found it to be a visually dazzling film that would appeal to any fan of Tim Burton but, for my taste, I thought it was a little too peculiar. At the beginning, it reminded me of my favorite Tim Burton movie Big Fish, with its story revolving around a aging character’s mysterious past leading the main protagonist on a fantastical adventure. I also found it probably to be a little too creepy for younger audiences, namely children under 10, one of the targeted demographics.
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