Phantom Boy
GKIDS | Release Date: July 15, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
66
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
14
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0
Watch Now
Buy on
Stream On

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
The Film StageJared MobarakJun 9, 2016
With its vibrant colors muted for a NYC noir aesthetic and every 2D field shaded by roughly textured shadows in constant motion, the frames literally flicker off the screen to leave a lasting impression. Read full review
83
The PlaylistAndrew CrumpJul 14, 2016
What makes Phantom Boy unique isn’t the questions it asks, but the way it asks them and the answers it arrives at. Read full review
80
Total FilmKevin HarleyNov 2, 2016
Noirish touches flesh out the wispy plot, yet it’s the old-school animation that engages most: lending clarity to the emotions at stake, ensuring our sickly hero’s resilience tugs on the heart. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerJul 25, 2016
Like other recent French cartoons — ranging from Persopolis to the Kirikou series — this one manages to maintain something personal within a broadly appealing framework: it doesn’t shy away from the dark side of life, and in the end, even allows us to enjoy it. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerTirdad DerakhshaniJul 28, 2016
Phantom Boy will appeal to children who have the patience and imagination to immerse themselves in the film's wiggly animation. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerJul 28, 2016
Adults should get a kick out of Phantom Boy’s sly humour but the story and the action is for the kids. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonJul 28, 2016
Phantom Boy has a cute, comic-book vibe to it, a visually pleasing style and a fast pace. It’s fun, for sure. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyJul 15, 2016
The film can be smothered by the obligations of its plot, but it's still beautiful and original, extremely funny, and sometimes very moving. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayJul 13, 2016
Even though it doesn’t all come together thrillingly, Phantom Boy garners a lot of goodwill just for looking and feeling original. Read full review
74
The VergeTasha RobinsonJul 15, 2016
Felicioli and Gagnol's latest may be trying to do a few too many things at once, given its short length and genial aims. But it's still something distinctive and different in a sea of shiny mirrors, all reflecting the same slick CGI style back at each other. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesCharles SolomonJul 21, 2016
Like their Oscar-nominated “A Cat in Paris” (2010), Phantom Boy by Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gangol is a modest, engaging film that reminds viewers of the intimate pleasures of drawn animation in an era of CG blockbusters. Read full review
70
Village VoiceSherilyn ConnellyJul 14, 2016
Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol's superhero story Phantom Boy is no April and the Extraordinary World — but still fine for what it is. Read full review
63
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanJul 28, 2016
There’s an appealing quaintness to the storytelling that calls to mind the Tintin books of the artist and writer Hergé, especially that series’s old-world charm. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineWes GreeneJul 12, 2016
The filmmakers are thankfully willing to render, with unremitting vigor, how grief can batter the human heart. Read full review
60
Time Out LondonTom HuddlestonOct 18, 2016
Phantom Boy is frequently beautiful to look at, but the cops-and-robbers angle feels tired and the characters are thinly sketched. Read full review
60
VarietyPeter DebrugeJun 9, 2016
Though Felicioli and Gagnol’s visuals suggest colorful kidlit illustrations come to life, their labor-intensive style isn’t for everyone. Read full review
50
The New York TimesGlenn KennyJul 14, 2016
Instead of maintaining an effervescent fizzle, Phantom Boy too frequently sputters piffle. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovJul 27, 2016
Notably, Phantom Boy treads territory that’s similar to much of Hayao Miyazaki’s work, with a main character seeking the otherworldly in the face of a terrible reality. Missing, though, is the narrative and emotional cohesiveness that would likely have led to Felicioli and Gagnol’s film being a more engaging and memorable work Read full review
More From This Movie

66 Critic Reviews

7.3 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL