Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical review: A holiday treat for fans of musicals

3.5/5

Story: Matilda, a young girl who is neglected and resented by her parents, has a sharp mind and a vivid imagination. She is the only one who stands up to the terrorising bully headmistress at Crunchem Hall and overturns her reign of terror with a secret superpower, changing her story and that of others in the school.

Review: Another adaptation of Roald Dahl’s best-selling children’s novel Matilda, this film is based on the award-winning Broadway stage version of the story, making it a musical.

Matilda Wormwood (Alisha Weir) is a young girl who is neglected and detested by her parents (Andrea Riseborough and Stephen Graham). She has a sharp mind and immerses herself in books from the likes of Brontë and Dostoevsky that she has taught herself to read. Her only friend is the librarian Mrs Phelps (Sindhu Vee), for whom she narrates fantastical tales that she makes up. The tale comes to Matilda in bursts and has Mrs Phelps hooked. The story continues each time they meet, as and when it comes to Matilda. 

Matilda is sent to Crunchem Hall, the headmistress of which is a terrorising bully Miss Trunchbull (Emma Thompson), a former Olympic hammer thrower who thinks nothing of swinging a student by her pigtails and throwing her a great distance (like she once did her hammers), only because she doesn’t like pigtails. 

All the students live in fear of the terrifying headmistress, who reminds them that 'No one is special' and 'You are all maggots' through posters pasted across the school. Miss Honey (Lashana Lynch), on the contrary, is a teacher who thinks that children should be treated with respect and their talents nurtured. She recognises how intelligent Matilda is and encourages her to explore her talent.  

Matilda, who already faces enough bullying at home at the hands of her parents, is the only one who stands up to Miss Trunchbull. She succeeds at ending her evil reign and forms a special bond with Miss Honey through some special superpowers, eventually leading to their happily ever after.  

Verdict: From the word go, audiences are drawn into the song-and-dance sequences. The songs not just take the narrative forward, but are a treat to the eyes, and the clever lyrics by Australian composer Tim Minchin keep you hooked. That is perhaps the biggest advantage of watching this film on Netflix — the subtitles help you pick up on each word of the songs, which would otherwise be lost. This is especially helpful with the School Song, in which the seniors help Matilda and another new student, Lavender, understand the horrors that lie ahead at Crunchem Hall on their first day at school. The lyrics, accompanied by apt choreography, top notch dance performances by the children, and the clever composition of the shots make this one of the best songs in the film.

The acting, cinematography, lyrics and choreography all deserve a special mention. Emma Thompson especially stands out, who, as the former Olympic hammer thrower Miss Trunchbull, the headmistress who despises kids, has quite the transformation — looking nothing like her demure, unalarming self. Her acting is on point and one is easily convinced of her as an evil disciplinarian. 

Andrea Riseborough and Stephen Graham do a convincing job as Matilda’s disregarding parents, and one can almost feel young Alisha Weir’s angst in several scenes. The amount of neglect and disdain that Matilda faces from her nouveau riche parents, and the horrors that the students of Crunchem Hall face feels uncomfortable at times, which only goes to show that the makers have succeeded in immersing you in the film.

Those who have watched the Matilda musical on Broadway may perhaps not be impressed with the film, but to the larger audience, Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical is a fine film, released right in time for Christmas. Watch this film if you are a fan of musicals.