Film

The Borrowers

Name: The Borrowers
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Action, Comedy, Family
Released: 1997
Cast: John Goodman, Mark Williams, Jim Broadbent, Celia Imrie, Flora Newbigin

Other titles called The Borrowers: the 1992 series (BBC One).

Fantasy

A live-action fantasy-adventure where four-inch-tall people live hidden in the walls of a London house, "borrowing" household items to survive. It's whimsical and earnest, with genuine jeopardy beneath the charm. Made for families who enjoy imagination over cynicism, and adults happy to meet that tone halfway.

TMDb rating

3.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love small-scale storytelling where the charm lies in tiny domestic ingenuity, a family-film take on a world built from scavenged everyday objects.

Skip it if you want a sharp, grounded story; the broad slapstick, cartoonish villain and eager-to-please tone can feel more like a tidy Saturday-morning caper than a richly textured adventure.

What it asks of you: It runs a brisk 87 minutes and keeps moving, so it needs little patience and rewards easy attention, with light peril rather than real dread.

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

If you liked this

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids1989

The template for shrinking-down adventure: inventive practical effects, genuine peril, and a father learning to see his kids' perspective. It balances comedy and heart without talking down.

But The special effects look dated now, and the family-reconciliation plot is fairly straightforward. Some of the humour lands softly.

The NeverEnding Story1984

A child discovers a magical book that mirrors his own journey, blending fantasy adventure with real emotional stakes. Utterly committed to its own world, with creatures and set design that still astonish.

But The pacing is deliberate rather than zippy. If you're impatient with slow-burn world-building or puppetry, it will feel dated quickly.

Willow1988

A small, humble hero must save the world from darkness using only his wits and newfound allies. It's got sword-and-sorcery grandeur, comedy that lands, and a genuine sense of adventure without being bloated.

But The plot follows the expected beats fairly predictably. The romance subplot doesn't sing. Some of the humour skews broader than you might prefer.

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

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Howl's Moving Castle2004

Both explore how size and perspective reshape relationships and power. Both find wonder in domestic spaces—kitchens, bedrooms, borrowed rooms—rather than grand landscapes.

A young woman enters a fantastical world where size, shape, and power are negotiable. Hayao Miyazaki's animation is breathtaking, the romance is genuinely earned, and every frame rewards attention.

But The plot is dreamlike and circular rather than clearly propulsive. If you need a straightforward three-act structure, this will feel willfully oblique.

The Secret of NIMH1982

A mother mouse with superhuman determination must save her family from danger. Beautifully animated, genuinely moving, with an intelligence and emotional core that rivals anything in the canon.

But It's darker and more serious than The Borrowers—less comedy, more genuine threat. The animation style won't appeal to everyone.

Stardust2007

A fantasy adventure that knows exactly what it is: charming, funny, visually rich, never sneering at itself. Great ensemble cast, genuine stakes, and a hero who grows into the role.

But It's glossy and sometimes feels lightweight. The plot occasionally prioritizes spectacle over character logic.

Labyrinth1986

A girl must navigate a magical maze to rescue her brother, encountering Muppets, music, and genuine weirdness. It's visually stunning and strange in ways that reward multiple viewings.

But The plot is thin and the pacing uneven. David Bowie's Goblin King dominates the story in ways that can overshadow the protagonist.

The Tale of Despereaux2008

A beautifully animated story about a small mouse with an enormous heart who falls in love and must save a kingdom. Genuinely moving, gorgeously rendered, with real warmth.

But The animation style is softer and more stylised than you might expect. The story veers into melodrama occasionally.

Gremlins1984

Tiny creatures cause chaos in a small town with surprising intelligence and personality. It's funny, inventive, and gleefully anarchic in ways most family films won't risk.

But The tone whiplashes between cute and genuinely mean-spirited. Some of the creature deaths are surprisingly dark for what seems like a fun film.

The Dark Crystal1982

An ambitious, entirely puppeteered fantasy with genuine stakes and a world that feels genuinely alive. The craftsmanship is extraordinary and the story earns its darkness.

But It's slow, visually difficult for some viewers, and the puppetry can feel claustrophobic. The emotional register is serious throughout.

Alice in Wonderland1951

Both are about a protagonist navigating a world where the rules of size, logic, and social order don't apply. Both find humour in literal-mindedness and the gap between intention and outcome.

Disney's delirious animation, Carroll's anarchic logic, and the perfect voice cast create something genuinely surreal and genuinely funny. A girl in an impossible place, making sense of the senseless.

But It's episodic and deliberately incoherent. If you watch it expecting plot momentum, you'll be frustrated. Some viewers find the wackiness exhausting rather than charming.