Tales of the Night – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Tales of the Night

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2011

68%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Gorgeous silhouette animation tells six fairy tales from around the world—stunning to look at, but moves at a 2011 art-house pace.

80%

7.3

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Tales of the Night

movie

2011

68%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Gorgeous silhouette animation tells six fairy tales from around the world—stunning to look at, but moves at a 2011 art-house pace.

80%

7.3

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80%

7.3

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Screenwise Verdict

Tales of the Night is the kind of movie film teachers show and parents feel virtuous about, but let's be honest: most modern kids will struggle to stay engaged. The silhouette animation is legitimately stunning and deserves appreciation, and there's real value in the cultural diversity of the stories. But this is 84 minutes of deliberately-paced, dialogue-heavy fairy tales with a theatrical framing device.

The gap between the 80% critic score and 62% audience score tells you everything—this is art-house animation that adults admire more than kids enjoy. If you have a patient, artistically-inclined 8-10 year old who already loves folktales and doesn't need constant stimulation, this could be a gem. For most kids raised on Pixar pacing? They'll be asking when it's over by tale three.

It's available on library streaming services (Kanopy, Hoopla), which is perfect—try it for free and see if your kid is the rare one who connects with it. Just don't feel bad when they don't.

Age Fit

Best for ages 8-12 who already appreciate slower, artistic storytelling—think kids who liked Miyazaki or The Secret of Kells. Younger kids will fidget, older kids will find it babyish unless they're budding cinephiles.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Animated anthology of fairy tales with themes of bravery, love, and justice. The framing device shows three friends collaborating to create stories together, modeling cooperative creativity. Tone is whimsical and theatrical rather than chaotic or mean-spirited. Some tales involve romantic elements and peril, but handled in a classic fairy-tale style appropriate for the format.

Imaginative

Highly distinctive silhouette animation style that's genuinely unique and visually stunning. Six different cultural settings (Tibet, medieval Europe, Aztec, African plains, Land of the Dead) each with their own folklore-inspired stories. The meta-framing of characters literally creating stories invites kids to think about narrative construction. This is art-house animation that celebrates imagination and storytelling itself.

Safe

Common Sense Media rates it 8+. Fairy tale violence and peril are present (dragons, werewolves, battles) but rendered in stylized silhouette form that significantly softens any intensity. Some romantic elements and potentially scary creatures, but the theatrical presentation creates distance. No gore, nudity, or truly shocking content, though the Land of the Dead setting and some monster encounters might spook younger viewers. Classic fairy-tale stakes without graphic depiction.

Enriching

Exposes kids to diverse cultural folklore and storytelling traditions from around the world. The unique animation style is genuinely educational about different artistic approaches. Themes of courage, cleverness, and justice run through the tales. However, it's a fairly passive viewing experience with limited actionable takeaways beyond cultural appreciation. The meta-narrative about storytelling itself adds a layer of sophistication that could spark creative thinking.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Genuinely unique visual style that looks like nothing else—black silhouettes against vibrant colored backgrounds create a shadow-puppet theater effect
Exposes kids to folklore from Tibet, Africa, Aztec culture, and medieval Europe in one sitting, celebrating diverse storytelling traditions
The framing story shows three friends collaborating to invent tales together, which could inspire kids to create their own stories
No commercial pandering or merchandising—this is pure artistic animation that respects kids' intelligence

⚠

What to Watch For

Pacing is deliberate and theatrical; kids raised on rapid-fire YouTube content may check out quickly
Some fairy-tale scares (werewolves, dragons, the Land of the Dead) that could spook sensitive under-8s, though the stylized animation softens the impact
The 62% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes tells the real story—critics loved it, but general audiences found it slow
Anthology format means if your kid doesn't vibe with one tale, they have to wait it out for the next

Conversation Starters

"Which of the six stories was your favorite, and why do you think that one stuck with you?"
"The animation is all silhouettes—what do you think was harder to show without being able to see faces?"
"If you were one of the three friends making up stories, what kind of tale would you create?"
"Some of these stories come from cultures we don't see in movies very often—what surprised you about them?"

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