The 1980s were the golden age of fantasy movies, but the 2000s marked a second peak era for the genre. The first decade of the 21st century saw some of the most successful, groundbreaking, and influential fantasy films ever made, with critical hits like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Pan’s Labyrinth. Those films remain popular today, but another fantasy movie from the 2000s has largely been forgotten, and Netflix subscribers are quickly running out of time to rediscover it.
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Jay Russell’s The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep is an amazing family-friendly movie, even if it has been overlooked in recent years. The film, an adaptation of Dick King-Smith’s children’s novel, should be at the top of Netflix subscribers’ watchlists before it exits the platform on February 1st. The movie stars Alex Etel as Angus, a young boy grappling with the loss of his father who discovers a mysterious egg on the shore of Loch Ness. When it hatches into a magical “water horse,” Angus must try to keep the mythical creature a secret from not just his mom but the Scottish government.
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep Is a Whimsical Family Fantasy Movie
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep is a perfect mashup between a heartfelt family drama and a mythical creature feature. The movie brings an almost E.T.-like magic with a heartwarming story about navigating loss, fear, and growing up through Angus’s emotional journey as he deals with the loss of his father at sea and finds friendship and solace in the fantastical creature, and it provides enough adventure and peril with the threat of discovery to keep it engaging. The movie is a magical and tender experience that is moving, well-acted, and perfect for viewers of all ages, and it’s all set against a beautiful, atmospheric backdrop of World War II in Scotland and even features a pretty decent creature design for the period.
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep is the type of movie that you really can’t go wrong with watching, because even 20 years later, it still holds up incredibly well. The movie, which grossed more than $100 million at the worldwide box office against a reported budget of $40 million, holds pretty decent ratings, too. Audiences gave the movie a 62% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it earned an even higher 74% rating from critics, with Arkansas Democrat-Gazette ’s Philip Martin calling it “a magical, worthy film that deserves a place on the classics shelf beside films like Whale Rider and Lassie Come Home.”
Where to Stream The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep After It Leaves Netflix?
If you miss The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep on Netflix, it thankfully won’t be too difficult to find after its February 1st removal. The movie is also currently included in Tubi’s free streaming library, and there’s no indication that it will be departing that service in the near future. Fans and would-be viewers can also rent or buy The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep online.
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