Tales from the magic garden

The challenge of an animated feature that is composed of three separate tales and a narrative framework is to mask its anthological nature, to avoid letting through the perception that the film is not cohesive but a sort of collage of stories. Tales of the Magic Garden succeeds in this, as its collective form becomes apparent only after it already enraptures and captivates with a strong premise: three siblings visit grandpa, after grandma, who used to tell magical stories, passed away. together, the family tries to deal with grief by inventing stories to tell to each other. 

Although the cross-reference to the act of the storytelling of fables feels very traditional and somewhat archetypical to the animated form, Tales from the Magic Garden chooses stories that have a contemporary setting, a modernity that reverbs in the score, a sensibility that tries to explore the psychology of life issues with a more current mindset. While it never becomes a dark animated film, it does balance a certain maturity in tackling the sense of loss of a deceased relative and the playfulness of a film that is targeted for younger audiences.

Tales of the Magic Garden keeps the tradition of claymation strong and, although it is not necessarily a film that aims to challenge the animated form, or innovate, it is a wholesome film.

RATING: 3/5

Original title: Pohádky po babicce

Directed by: Patrik Pass Jr., Jean-Claude Rozec, David Sukup, Leon Vidmar

Country: Czech Republic

Year: 2025

Length: 71 min.

Premiere: Berlinale 2025