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Poster for The City of Lost Children

The City of Lost Children

Where happily ever after is just a dream.

1995 · 1h 52m · R Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet , Marc Caro

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Overview

A scientist in a surrealist society kidnaps children to steal their dreams, hoping that they slow his aging process.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
79%
Tomatometer
Fresh

Jeunet and Caro have distinctive signatures like nobody else's.

Michael Sragow, New Yorker
Fresh

On visual terms alone, The City of Lost Children is something of a masterpiece, using state-of-the-art physical, optical and digital special effects to stretch cinematic boundaries.

Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times
Fresh

Essentially, The City of Lost Children is a macabre fairy tale, and while its tentacled comic-book plot and freak-show cast narrow its appeal -- this isn't a work of any allegorical depth -- Caro and Jeunet have pulled off a cinematic delight.

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
Rotten

The City of Lost Children gets so caught up in its own weirdness that it all but shuts out the viewer.

Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel
Rotten

An empty triumph of overkill set design and weirdo casting.

Jami Bernard, New York Daily News

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