Slumberland Discussion Questions and Review written by the Ent. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Watch Slumberland
Movie: Slumberland
Rating: PG
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Length: 1 hr. 57 mins.
Age suggested: 8 and up
Release Date: November 18th, 2022
Streaming Service: Netflix
Warnings: Loss of parent, Mild language. For more details, check out out “Is Slumberland Appropriate?” section below.
Quick Slumberland Summary
Based off of Little Nemo in Slumberland, we follow 11-year-old Nemo as she is set on taking over as the lighthouse maintainer from her father. When tragedy strikes, Nemo’s entire world is thrown asunder. This leads to the discovery of a dream world, called Slumberland, where she finds an opportunity for escapism.
Slumberland Review
(Contains Spoilers)
–Why Watch Slumberland-
Overall, Slumberland provides a fun watch with an emotional plotline throughout. The story kicks off right away with showing the deep connection between Nemo and her father (her mother has already passed by the beginning of the movie). This makes his death, which happens pretty quickly into the movie, very emotional and acts as the catalyst for many of the things Nemo does throughout the rest of the film.
About half way through, it definitely lulls a bit, but once we learn about the connection between Flip and Philip, the movie really takes it up a notch. Nemo herself is very relatable, but both Flip and Philip are seemingly very one-dimensional characters. This is done purposefully though and really adds an emotional punch to the movie when the coward Philip pushes through and risks going on an adventure to save Nemo.
Stylistically, the movie jumps around quite a bit. It ranges from the mundane reality to weird scientific rooms and vehicles to nightmarish landscapes. This juxtaposition makes sense within the concept of Slumberland, but can be quite jarring for some viewers. Overall, Slumberland is not a perfect movie, but it is a fun adventure movie with a nice mix of funny and emotional moments.
-Is Slumberland Appropriate?-
Slumberland deals heavily with the grief of losing a parent. Nemo goes into Slumberland to find a pearl that grants a wish. She intends to use this wish to bring back her father. A quick note for adoptive/foster parents: Nemo does end up being reunited with her father one last time before having to return to reality. This could easily bring up emotions of bio-parents that are important to acknowledge and discuss.
There are a few instances of mild language and just general potty-like humor. When the Sea of Nightmares is revealed, the movie does take a bit of a darker tone, but doesn’t stay there for too long. Also, upon entering the sea of nightmares, a monster is released and chases Nemo and Flip around realms. This could be a bit scary for younger viewers.
Favorite Slumberland Quotes
“People think dreams are an escape…but that’s not true.”
“Your dreams don’t just happen, we make them happen”
“You just said like four insulting things on top of each other.”
“This is the map of every dream in the world, Slumberland”
“I think it would be a mistake if you shut yourself off from the world”
“When you stay in Slumberland for too long, you forget everything”
“Life is waiting for you, Nemo. It would be a shame to miss that”
-Slumberland Quotes
Slumberland Discussion Questions
Themes to Discuss: Grief, Escapism, Living Life to the Fullest, Isolation
- Which character did you like the most and why?
- Have you ever watched Little Nemo or read Little Nemo in Slumberland? If so, how does this movie compare? If not, are you interested in them?
- What is the connection between Philip and Flip? How does this connection affect their personalities?
- If you could spend a night in Slumberland, what would you do?
- Nemo’s father tells her that he did not train her to just maintain the lighthouse. What did she want for her?
Thanks for reading our Slumberland Discussion Questions and Review. Before you go, check out these other posts:
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–The Adam Project Review
-Lessons from the Uncharted Movie
–Free Guy Parent Review
-Netflix original: Enola Holmes
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