Netflix continues to be one of the few companies to perform well in spite of coronavirus, with the streaming giant recently overtaking Disney in terms of stock value. In recent weeks, we’ve seen some unusual and underrated titles dominate their rankings, whilst the service is announcing more and more additions to its original and licensed content. The latest success story for the streamer is animated film The Willoughbys, which has been getting a lot of love online since it was released on April 22nd.
The CGI picture focuses on an eccentric family and its four kids as they get up to adventures and mischief, with their parents too focused on each other to notice. The plot involves an abandoned baby, foster homes, and narration by a talking cat. Based on a book by Lois Lowry, the Netflix film boasts an impressive voice cast, including Will Forte, Martin Short and Ricky Gervais, with music by Mark Mothersbaugh.
Reactions to the film on Twitter have been pretty enthusiastic so far, with some of the comments including much praise:
10/10 animated film and Jane's voice is so 😍😌 #TheWilloughbyshttps://t.co/1SEE2qXPay
— em | 🐶 D-45 (@emlbrnd) April 23, 2020
You know what you should watch while you're stuck at home right now?
The Willoughbys. It's goooood. pic.twitter.com/4Di4z4xnPd
— Reg Arm (@Reg_Arm) April 23, 2020
https://twitter.com/uhogirI/status/1253355724958244864
https://twitter.com/littlevicini/status/1253415020563558400
https://twitter.com/emacdaddy1234/status/1253411900244684800
Thank you for making #TheWilloughbys! I watched it with the kids, we enjoyed it. I didn't even drift off as I do with most animation movies. It's so colourful 🌈🥳 plus not a dull moment with so many ingenious plot twists.
— Marzia (@MarzyaGem) April 23, 2020
@alessiacara just watched #thewilloughbys it’s such a cute movie and you did an amazing job! Perfect for a rainy day!💞
— Alexa (@anc_325) April 23, 2020
The Willoughbys on a Netflix was pretty good.
— katiebby🌙🪐 (@katiiiebabyy) April 23, 2020
Y’all gotta go watch The Willoughbys 🥺👉🏾👈🏾
— Funmi Really ? 🫣 (@QueennFunmi) April 23, 2020
Y’all! I love #TheWilloughbys so much. Omg! 😂😂😁😁😁 Yes, @Netflix!
— Rae The Writer (@WriteAsRae) April 23, 2020
https://twitter.com/Apartment_2b/status/1253401994364104707
https://twitter.com/caitlinapura/status/1253401748275777536
https://twitter.com/angelicks999/status/1253401636611002371
Others, meanwhile, were impressed by the movie’s storybook-like animation and bizarre sense of humor:
Eye popping snaps from #TheWilloughbys
[2/3] pic.twitter.com/ajCbjuOrDP— Vikram AVN (@VikramAVN) April 23, 2020
https://twitter.com/KalosFilms/status/1253165453431709696
It seems like Netflix have another hit on their hands, then, with the company also adding to its impressive recent list of animated movies, which has included The Little Prince, I Lost My Body and Klaus. Given the excitement that The Willoughbys is already generating online, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it reach a wide audience over the next few weeks, especially with so many families in lockdown and searching out high quality content.
Praise for Netflix is likely to grow over the next few months, too, as they add more original content like Ryan Murphy’s Hollywood and the new satirical comedy Space Force in May. In addition, we’re getting news of the planned releases for June, with Netflix looking set to maintain their leadership in the streaming industry into the summer months.
Tell us, though, have you had a chance to check out The Willoughbys? If so, let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.
