A Glean movie guide
Whimsical Worlds & Symmetrical Wonders
The ultimate Wes Anderson-esque guide.
Highly stylized films with dry wit, eccentric characters, and meticulous production design.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The French Dispatch
An anthology of eccentric stories told with the same meticulous design and massive ensemble as Grand Budapest.
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 storybook-style adventure about young love and a quirky community on a remote New England island.
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
Asteroid City
A retro-futuristic desert town hosts a stargazing convention in this color-coded, meta-narrative comedy.
In an American desert town circa 1955, the itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.
- 04
Amélie
A vibrant and whimsical journey through a stylized Paris, centered on a shy waitress with a magical imagination.
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
See How They Run
A stylized whodunit set in 1950s London that mirrors the symmetrical framing and dry wit of a stage play.
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.
- 06
Fantastic Mr. Fox
A stop-motion masterpiece featuring Anderson’s signature framing and a witty, urbane animal community.
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.
- 07
Emma.
A pastel-colored period piece that treats social etiquette with dollhouse-like precision and sharp humor.
In 1800s England, a well-meaning but selfish young woman meddles in the love lives of her friends.
- 08
The Royal Tenenbaums
A deadpan look at a dysfunctional family of former child prodigies living in a meticulously curated home.
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.
- 09
Paddington 2
A visually inventive adventure featuring a pink-hued prison sequence that feels like a direct Anderson homage.
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.
- 10
The Personal History of David Copperfield
A fast-paced, theatrical reimagining of Dickens with vibrant costumes and a chaotic, eccentric 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.
- 11
The Favourite
A sharp, darkly comedic power struggle in Queen Anne's court, shot with extreme lenses and lavish detail.
England, early 18th century. The close relationship between Queen Anne and Sarah Churchill is threatened by the arrival of Sarah's cousin, Abigail Hill, resulting in a bitter rivalry between the two cousins to be the Queen's favourite.
- 12
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
A charmingly deadpan adventure through the New Zealand bush led by a rebellious kid and his grumpy uncle.
Ricky is a defiant young city kid who finds himself on the run with his cantankerous foster uncle in the wild New Zealand bush. A national manhunt ensues, and the two are forced to put aside their differences and work together to survive.