Film

Little Houdini

Name: Little Houdini
Genre: Animation, Family, History, Adventure
Released: 2014
Cast: Fanny Bloc, Marie Facundo, Thierry Kazazian

Action
Light-hearted

A French animated adventure set in 1886 where a young Harry Houdini pursues his dream of becoming a magician with help from Nikola Tesla. Charming and whimsical, it blends history with fantasy in a way that feels like a children's book come alive. For families who love period detail, magic, and the thrill of ambition.

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy a brisk, old-fashioned caper about an ambitious kid chasing a dream, with stage-magic tricks and a touch of real-world history flavoring the fun.

Skip it if you want animation that feels grown-up or richly textured, since this is a brisk, bright, straightforward piece with little room for slow reflection.

What it asks of you: About 53 minutes, it moves quickly from scene to scene and keeps its tone light, so it demands little more than a Saturday afternoon's willingness to be delighted.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Great North2021

A quirky animated series about a family of dreamers in Alaska with the same warmth and oddball humour. Episodes are brisk, characters are genuinely loveable, and it finds joy in the everyday alongside the absurd.

But American comedy animation, so the rhythm and jokes land differently than European sensibilities. Some find the family dynamics a bit too chaotic.

Craig of the Creek2018

A show about childhood adventure and discovery that understands what makes kids tick: freedom, friendship, and the thrill of figuring things out yourself. Beautifully drawn and genuinely moving.

But Deliberately low-stakes. If you want plot velocity and stakes constantly rising, this meanders. Also very American in setting and tone.

Hilda2018

A girl navigates a magical world with wit, courage and a found family. It has that same sense of a young person realizing they're capable of more than anyone expected. Adventure feels earned, not handed over.

But Darker and more violent than Houdini. The tone shifts between whimsy and genuine peril, which some find tonal.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Little Houdini

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Illusionist2010

Both are about magicians in early-era settings learning to reinvent themselves, but this one looks inward at loss and memory rather than outward at ambition. Same subject, opposite emotional weather.

A wordless, autumnal animated film about an aging magician and the young woman he befriends. It's utterly enchanting and uses the power of magic as a metaphor for the beauty of connection, not spectacle. Every frame is painted.

But Almost no dialogue means it relies entirely on you reading emotions in animation. Some find that poetic; others find it slow. Also melancholy in a way that contradicts the title's surface cheerfulness.

Amphibia2019

A girl trapped in a frog world learns to thrive through ingenuity and friendship. Like Houdini, it's about a young person discovering their own agency. Character arcs are genuinely satisfying.

But The first season takes a while to hit its stride. Long-form storytelling means you need patience before the bigger picture emerges.

The Tale of Despereaux2008

A beautifully animated story about a small mouse with big dreams, set in a fairy-tale medieval world. It has Houdini's DNA: underdog, determination, magic in the everyday, and colour that pops.

But Released during a weird point in 3D animation where the rendering looks a touch soft and dated now. Pacing is gentler than modern family films expect.

Raya and the Last Dragon2021

A young woman must master courage and cunning across a richly imagined world. Like Houdini, it's about resourcefulness and self-discovery. Animation is stunning, and it doesn't talk down to its audience.

But Disney in big-budget mode, which means some moments feel calculated. The voice acting is occasionally stiff in supporting roles.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire2001

A young cartographer dreams of discovery and joins an expedition to find a legendary city. That same spark of ambition, the same sense that the world is bigger than what you're told. Adventure feels tangible.

But Early 2000s Disney with a weird tonal mix—adventure, comedy and tragedy don't always gel. Looks visually dated in places.

Over the Garden Wall2014

A miniseries about two brothers lost in a mysterious forest. It has Houdini's autumnal atmosphere and that sense of young people having to find their way. Genuinely eerie and beautiful.

But Only ten episodes total, so very short. More gothic and melancholy than the bright spark of Houdini—quite dark for family viewing.

Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia2016

A teenage boy becomes a champion fighter in a hidden magical world beneath his hometown. It has that same thrill of discovering you're capable of extraordinary things. Three seasons of committed world-building.

But CGI animation is inconsistent in quality. Villain arcs don't always land, and some plot threads feel abandoned by the end.

Hugo2011

Both centre on a young dreamer in a specific historical moment who finds mentorship and discovers that his impossible ambition isn't impossible. But this one treats history as the actual subject, not just the backdrop.

A boy hides in the gears of a Paris train station, befriends a girl, and uncovers a mystery tied to early cinema. Scorsese made this in 3D with real wonder—it's a love letter to the magic of film itself and how stories survive.

But At 126 minutes, it's long and digressive. Some plot threads feel more important than others, and the pacing is unhurried by design.

Spirited Away2001

Both are about young protagonists learning magic or enchantment as a way to survive and thrive, but Spirited Away is surreal and dreamlike where Houdini is grounded and historical. Same engine, entirely different worlds.

A girl enters a bathhouse full of spirits and must use her wits, courage and compassion to save herself and others. Miyazaki's masterpiece is about the same core thing: a young person discovering reserves of strength they didn't know they had, animated with a hand-drawn tenderness.

But It's 125 minutes and not every moment moves forward—some scenes are dreamlike and slow. Also Japanese in sensibility, which means different cultural codes and less tonal lightness than Western animation.