The Twits (2025) – Reviews, Opinions, and Reception Analysis
Critical Reception Overview – What Top Critics Say About The Twits (2025)
The critical consensus for The Twits (2025) is a tangled web of admiration for its visual flair and disappointment in its narrative tone. Collider awarded the film a 70 % score, noting that “It’s funny, it’s zany, it looks good, and has some really great character work going for it, but it probably would have turned out better as a product of the 20th century.” This comment captures the duality many reviewers sensed: the movie’s animation shines, yet its story feels anachronistic.
RogerEbert.com (63 %) criticized the adaptation for over‑compensating Dahl’s cynicism, stating that “Johnston has over‑compensated for Dahl’s cynicism with his wondrous children and their magical friends, and a bit too much of ‘The Twits’ feels like it desperately wants us to love Beesha and Bubsy, even if they’re kind of shallowly conceived and designed.” The emphasis on “wondrous children” runs counter to Dahl’s darker humor, a point echoed by The A.V. Club (33 %) who called the movie “Diluted, simplistic animation, as cloying and feckless as anything from the last decade of Illumination films.”
Conversely, Variety (70 %) praised the film’s detail‑level humor: “There’s humor in every detail, much of it skewing to the sordid, if not downright scatological, end of the spectrum, from exploding buttocks to anthropomorphic hairballs.” Screen Rant (80 %) highlighted the moral layer, noting the film “points to real‑world struggles in the United States” while delivering “a thousand fart jokes.”
Overall, the critic scores (ranging from 20 % at The Telegraph to 80 % at Screen Rant) illustrate a split: some see The Twits as a visually inventive but tonally confused adaptation, while others appreciate its willingness to tackle contemporary themes—even if the execution feels uneven. For a full breakdown of critic scores, visit our movie page on What’s After the Movie where you can also explore detailed summaries and character profiles.
Audience Reaction – User Reviews and Fan Sentiments on The Twits (2025)
User‑generated feedback paints a picture that mirrors the critics’ polarity but adds an emotional layer tied to nostalgia. On Metacritic, the average user rating hovers around 3‑4 stars.
davidlovesfilm echoes The A.V. Club, writing: “The Twits is exactly what one might imagine a Netflix Dahl adaptation to be: Diluted, simplistic animation, as cloying and **** and smoothed over as anything from the last decade of Netflix animated films.” This sentiment is shared by Yourmumsbills, who called the film “a disgusting insult to Roald Dahl… practically dancing on his grave.”
On the more forgiving side, VRGUY583 praised lead actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan: “I loved her character, Maitreyi did really well in The Twits,” although they still labeled the overall experience “kinda mid.” charlesdinneen-25955 gave a surprisingly positive spin, highlighting Johnny Vegas: “Jonny Vegas as Mr Twit is inspired and brilliant… a reasonably fun watch.”
A recurring theme among users is the clash between child‑oriented expectations and adult‑oriented humor. hakansuna described the animation as “confusing… sometimes feels like it’s for adults, sometimes for children,” while Sleepin_Dragon lamented that the film “doesn’t feel right; the story, the artistic choices… feel like a poor man’s Wallace and Gromit.”
These divergent voices reveal a split audience: longtime Dahl fans who feel betrayed, and casual viewers who find the film “okay” or enjoy specific performances. For an interactive gauge of audience sentiment, hop over to our quiz page and try the The Twits trivia challenge—perfect for seeing how well you remember the film’s quirkiest moments.
Themes, Tone, and Adaptation Choices – Comparing Critics and Viewers
Both critics and users converge on a central critique: The Twits sacrifices Dahl’s characteristic “gruesome sense of fun” for a sanitized, empathy‑driven message. The Guardian (40 %) bluntly stated: “Any of Dahl’s gruesome sense of fun is obliterated by a bulldozing message of empathy and kindness.” Similarly, TheWrap (35 %) called the tone “chaotic” and the film “insufferable sugar.”
In contrast, Variety and Screen Rant applaud the film’s willingness to mix dark humor with modern moral themes, such as the critique of “fake news” and “political manipulation” highlighted by user alanpotter17. This tension underscores a broader industry trend: adapting classic children’s literature for the streaming era often means balancing nostalgia with contemporary relevance.
The visual style also divides opinion. Critics like Collider praise the “zany” look, while users such as lisavwyper find the animation “odd” and “strange.” The film’s hybrid aesthetic—part cartoon, part CGI—may be intended to appeal to both kids and adults, yet many viewers report a disjointed experience. As hakansuna put it: “It’s very confusing that the animation sometimes feels like it’s for adults not for children.”
These thematic and tonal disagreements illustrate why The Twits (2025) is a case study in adaptation risk: by leaning heavily into empathy and sanitization, the movie alienates purists while still delivering moments of visual comedy that critics like Variety celebrate. For deeper analysis of adaptation trends, check out our comprehensive movie wiki where you can compare The Twits to other Roald Dahl adaptations.
How The Twits (2025) Stands Among Other Roald Dahl Adaptations
When placed next to recent Dahl adaptations—Matilda (2022), The Witches (2020), and the animated Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2023)—The Twits trends toward the lowest critical scores. Metacritic aggregates a 38 % average for The Twits, while Matilda sits in the mid‑60s and The Witches in the low‑70s.
The critical narrative follows a familiar pattern: “If you don’t actually want to make a film out of a Roald Dahl book, this critic’s advice is: don’t.” (The Telegraph, 20 %). Critics argue that the “bulldozing message of empathy” dilutes the original’s edge, a criticism that did not hit as hard for Matilda, where the empowerment theme aligned closely with Dahl’s tone.
Audience scores reflect a similar split. While The Twits gathers mixed user reviews (average 3.5/5), Matilda enjoys a steady 4‑star fan base. The divergent reception may stem from casting choices: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan’s performance becomes a bright spot for some viewers, yet for many, the “Americanisation” of a British classic feels jarring—echoed by users joo_ref and SteveC-4775.
For a side‑by‑side comparison of box office figures, see our box‑office section, where you can also examine how streaming‑first releases like The Twits perform against theatrical releases.
Why You Should Visit What’s After the Movie for In‑Depth Summaries, Quizzes, and More
If you’re looking to dive deeper than a quick review, What’s After the Movie offers a suite of tools that enhance every fan’s experience of The Twits (2025):
- Summaries: Get a concise, spoiler‑free overview on our summary page that captures the plot without the “gross unnecessary details” many users complained about.
- Profiles: Explore detailed cast and crew bios on the profiles section—learn why Johnny Vegas was cast as Mr Twit and how Maitreyi Ramakrishnan prepared for Beesha.
- Box Office & Awards: Track streaming performance and any accolades on our box‑office and awards pages.
- Concert Films & Extras: While not directly related, our concert‑film hub shows how music can elevate animated storytelling—a useful lens when evaluating the film’s soundtrack choices.
- Quizzes & Games: Test your knowledge with our interactive The Twits quiz on the game page; perfect for family movie nights.
- Movie Wiki: For a deep dive into production history, direction, and adaptation decisions, visit the comprehensive movie wiki.
All these resources are linked directly from the film’s dedicated movie page, ensuring you never have to search elsewhere for reliable, fan‑focused content.
