Recently, my friend Augustus and I covered this movie on our podcast, Cinemix, but it only feels right to have a review on it, as it really is an incredible work. Moonrise Kingdom is a 2012 film directed by Wes Anderson starring Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward. This movie feels like Bridge to Terabithia on drugs, and I loved it. This is probably my favorite Wes Anderson movie, and probably his best work.

Moonrise Kingdom takes place in 1965 on the island of New Penzance, and it follows two troubled twelve year olds who run away. However, they both know that their endeavor is essentially futile, as there’s a massive storm shortly arriving at the island. Moonrise Kingdom really is quite an amazing movie. It’s incredibly funny at times, very sweet and heartfelt at others, and it tackles personal themes such as belonging to a family, childlike love, and ultimately, the sad temporary nature of our childhood as human beings.

Unlike a lot of other Wes Anderson films, this one doesn’t come off as pretentious or ponderous, mainly because any notion of that is dispersed by the beautiful nature of the two main leads. They work, both as actors with their chemistry, but also as a way to express the themes of the movie. They have some great scenes together, such as their first kiss, a confrontation on top of a church steeple during s thunderstorm, or the ending of the movie, which reveals that they continue to see each other despite the girls parents’ wishes against it.

This movie also features a very impressive cast, including Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Francis McDormand, Tilda Swinton, and even Harvey Keitel. All of them are actually great, but standouts were Bruce Willis as a good hearted loser “island cop,” Edward Norton as a Boy Scout troop leader, and Bruce Willis as this depressed yet comedic father. They’re all incredibly funny and really interesting.

Overall, Moonrise Kingdom feels like a step above Anderson’s other works because of a sweet and heartfelt story, as well some deep themes. I really liked this movie, and despite it’s Wes Anderson “weirdness,” it’s a movie everyone should try and see.