Film

Penelope

Name: Penelope
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, Romance
Released: 2006
Cast: Christina Ricci, James McAvoy, Catherine O'Hara, Peter Dinklage, Richard E. Grant

A modern fairy tale about a woman born with a pig's snout, trapped by her parents' shame in their mansion, who must escape not just the curse but the suffocating world that made her believe she deserved it. It's whimsical without being saccharine, funny without cruelty, and genuinely about self-acceptance rather than rescue. For anyone who loves stories where the real magic is refusing to play by other people's rules.

TMDb rating

3.4

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like whimsical, storybook romances with a wry, self-aware streak, where the fairy-tale machinery is played for gentle laughs and the heroine is sharper than her situation.

Skip it if you want fast plotting or a grounded romance; this is a light, sweetly mannered fable where the charm rests on its look and dialogue rather than on momentum or surprise.

What it asks of you: About ninety minutes of gentle, unhurried whimsy, with a bright, storybook look and a tone that stays cheerful and affectionate throughout without sharp shifts.

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

If you liked this

Enchanted2007

A fairy tale princess lands in modern New York and must navigate real life without a prince. Amy Adams is luminous, the humor lands for both adults and kids, and it understands that the real happy ending is choosing your own adventure.

But It's deliberately broad and theatrical; if you want subtlety or irony about fairy tales, this wears its heart on its sleeve.

Amélie2001

A lonely Parisian woman decides to improve other people's lives before her own. Visually inventive, deeply romantic, and quietly radical about connection and loneliness. Jeunet's direction makes every frame feel alive.

But The whimsy can feel overwrought if you're not in the mood; some find the quirk exhausting rather than charming.

Stardust2007

A young man crosses into a magical realm to find a fallen star—and discovers that the real quest is about becoming someone worthy of love. Funny, smart, visually gorgeous, with Robert De Niro as a cross-dressing pirate.

But It juggles a lot of tones and characters; the plot can feel overstuffed, and some of the supporting performances are broader than others.

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

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Tale of Despereaux2008

Both are fairy tales specifically about characters who've internalized shame and had to learn they're worthy of love as-is. Both refuse the narrative that says girls need to be fixed to be valuable.

An animated film about a small mouse who loves a princess and chooses forgiveness over vengeance. Hand-drawn, genuinely complex about shame and self-worth, and beautiful without being maudlin. It's essentially Penelope's story from a different angle.

But It's a children's film, and some adults find animated features hard to commit to; the pacing is gentle rather than brisk.

EverAfter1998

Drew Barrymore as Cinderella—but she's clever, self-rescuing, and the film is genuinely interested in her as a person. A grown-up take on a fairy tale that doesn't condescend to either the story or its audience.

But The frame narrative device breaks up the flow; pacing stutters between the present-day bookending and the flashback.

Ella Enchanted2004

Anne Hathaway plays a woman cursed to obey any command, so she sets out to break the spell herself. Self-aware, charming, and actually funny; it knows what it is and commits to it.

But The production design is bright to the point of plasticity; the tone sits awkwardly between kids' film and rom-com for adults.

A Little Chaos2015

Kate Winslet as a landscape designer at Versailles who refuses to play by the rules. Visually sumptuous, genuinely romantic, and interested in female desire and ambition as radical acts.

But It's measured and slow; if you want plot momentum or comedy, you'll be disappointed by its deliberate pacing.

Midnight in Paris2011

A writer unhappy in his own time finds himself transported to 1920s Paris each night. Romantic without being sappy, funny without being jokey, and genuinely explores longing and acceptance.

But Some find Woody Allen's neurotic protagonist grating; the film can feel more about nostalgia than the characters themselves.

The Secret of Kells2009

Animated Irish folk tale about a boy who discovers magic in art and storytelling. Visually stunning—every frame is hand-drawn with insane detail—and genuinely moving about creativity and courage.

But The animation style is unusual and demanding; some find it too slow or too concerned with beauty over narrative propulsion.

The Shape of Water2017

A mute woman falls in love with a captured sea creature in Cold War America. Guillermo del Toro at his most romantic; it's about otherness, acceptance, and the way love transforms both people.

But The romance crosses species lines; if you need that grounded in naturalism, the film's unapologetic fantasy will feel silly rather than moving.

Duck Soup1933

Both films' real subject is people imprisoned by social expectation—Penelope by her family's rules, Groucho by any rule—and the liberation that comes from just saying no to the whole system.

The Marx Brothers in a completely plot-free comedy about absurdity, anarchic freedom, and refusing to play by social rules. Groucho operates in pure chaos; it's about the sheer joy of people refusing decorum.

But There's almost no plot, the comedy is all rhythm and wordplay, and if you need narrative or character development, this will feel like a series of sketches.

The Ballad of Little Jo1993

Like Penelope, it's about a woman trapped by what society will accept and choosing to escape rather than comply. But where Penelope finds joy, Little Jo trades safety for freedom—a much darker path to the same refusal.

A real historical film about a woman who disguised herself as a man in the Old West to escape poverty and judgment. Maggie Cassidy's performance is quiet and devastating; it's about radical self-determination and the cost of freedom.

But It's small, subdued, and bleak; there's no whimsy or romance as comfort, just a woman making impossible choices.