A Glean movie guide
Whimsical Worlds & Storybook Styles
Beyond the Grand Budapest
Highly stylized films with quirky characters, vibrant palettes, and meticulous design.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The French Dispatch
An anthology of eccentric stories told with the same meticulous production design and European flair.
The staff of an American magazine based in France puts out its last issue, with stories featuring an artist sentenced to life imprisonment, student riots, and a kidnapping resolved by a chef.
- 02
Moonrise Kingdom
A charming, symmetrical adventure that balances childhood whimsy with a touch of adult melancholy.
Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, Moonrise Kingdom tells the story of two twelve-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore – and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in more ways than anyone can handle.
- 03
See How They Run
A stylized period-piece whodunit that mirrors Anderson’s love for theatrical framing and split-screens.
In the West End of 1950s London, plans for a movie version of a smash-hit play come to an abrupt halt after a pivotal member of the crew is murdered. When world-weary Inspector Stoppard and eager rookie Constable Stalker take on the case, the two find themselves thrown into a puzzling whodunit within the glamorously sordid theater underground, investigating the mysterious homicide at their own peril.
- 04
Amélie
A vibrant, magical-realist journey through Paris focused on small details and eccentric character traits.
At a tiny Parisian café, the adorable yet painfully shy Amélie accidentally discovers a gift for helping others. Soon Amelie is spending her days as a matchmaker, guardian angel, and all-around do-gooder. But when she bumps into a handsome stranger, will she find the courage to become the star of her very own love story?
- 05
Asteroid City
A pastel-drenched, stage-like spectacle featuring a massive ensemble and a story-within-a-story.
In an American desert town circa 1955, the itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.
- 06
Paddington 2
A meticulously crafted family adventure with a colorful aesthetic and a delightful prison escape sequence.
Paddington, now happily settled with the Browns, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy, but it is stolen.
- 07
The Royal Tenenbaums
The definitive storybook family drama, defined by costume-heavy characters and dry, deadpan humor.
Royal Tenenbaum and his wife Etheline had three children and then they separated. All three children are extraordinary --- all geniuses. Virtually all memory of the brilliance of the young Tenenbaums was subsequently erased by two decades of betrayal, failure, and disaster. Most of this was generally considered to be their father's fault. "The Royal Tenenbaums" is the story of the family's sudden, unexpected reunion one recent winter.
- 08
Emma.
A visually precise period comedy that uses a pastel-heavy palette and sharp, rhythmic dialogue.
In 1800s England, a well-meaning but selfish young woman meddles in the love lives of her friends.
- 09
The Personal History of David Copperfield
A fast-paced, theatrical reimagining of Dickens with vibrant sets and a large, quirky ensemble.
A fresh and distinctive take on Charles Dickens’ semi-autobiographical masterpiece, The Personal History of David Copperfield, set in the 1840s, chronicles the life of its iconic title character as he navigates a chaotic world to find his elusive place within it. From his unhappy childhood to the discovery of his gift as a storyteller and writer, David’s journey is by turns hilarious and tragic, but always full of life, colour and humanity.
- 10
Fantastic Mr. Fox
A handcrafted stop-motion caper that captures the same miniature-world charm as the Grand Budapest.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox, bored with his current life, plans a heist against the three local farmers. The farmers, tired of sharing their chickens with the sly fox, seek revenge against him and his family.
- 11
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
An adventure-focused comedy featuring a cross-section ship set and a strong emphasis on specific color palettes.
Renowned oceanographer Steve Zissou has sworn vengeance upon the rare shark that devoured a member of his crew. In addition to his regular team, he is joined on his boat by Ned, a man who believes Zissou to be his father, and Jane, a journalist pregnant by a married man. They travel the sea, all too often running into pirates and, perhaps more traumatically, various figures from Zissou's past, including his estranged wife, Eleanor.