Matilda (1996)
Somewhere inside all of us is the power to change the world.
Matilda Wormwood is an brilliant and intelligent little girl. Unfortunately, her parents, Harry and Zinnia, fail to see that fact. As time passes, she finally starts school and has a kind teacher, loyal friends, and a terrifying, sadistic headmistress. As she becomes fed up with the constant cruelty, she discovers she has a special gift that she just might be able to use to outwit the unruly adults around her.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 2 August 1996 |
| Genre | Comedy, Family, Fantasy |
| Director | Danny DeVito |
| Starring | Mara Wilson, Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman |
| Runtime | 98 min |
| Rated | PG |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 7.5/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 92% · Metacritic 72/100 · TMDB users 7.2/10 |
| Budget | $36 million |
Where to watch Matilda
We could not find Matilda on any of the subscription services we track in the US right now. That changes often; open it in Binge Boss and we will show you where it lands.
Rent or buy
You can rent Matilda on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home and Spectrum On Demand. It is also for sale on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch Matilda in 36 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Antigua & Barbuda | Prime Video |
| Argentina | Prime Video $5199 ARS |
| Australia | Netflix $20.99 AUD, Binge $19.00 AUD, Foxtel, ARD/ZDF |
| Bahamas | Prime Video |
| Barbados | Prime Video |
| Belize | Prime Video |
| Bermuda | Prime Video |
| Bolivia | Prime Video |
| Brazil | Prime Video R$19.90 |
| Chile | Prime Video $6490 CLP |
| Colombia | Prime Video $24900 COP |
| Costa Rica | Prime Video |
| Dominican Republic | Prime Video |
| Ecuador | Prime Video $5.99 |
| El Salvador | Prime Video |
| Gibraltar | Prime Video |
| Guatemala | Prime Video |
| Guernsey | Prime Video |
| Guyana | Prime Video |
| Honduras | Prime Video |
| Ireland | Prime Video €6.99, Skygo |
| Jamaica | Prime Video |
| Japan | U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Mexico | Prime Video $99 MXN |
| Nicaragua | Prime Video |
| Panama | Prime Video $5.99 |
| Paraguay | Prime Video |
| Peru | Prime Video S/25.90 |
| South Korea | Netflix ₩13500 |
| Spain | Prime Video €4.99 |
| St. Lucia | Prime Video |
| Trinidad & Tobago | Prime Video |
| Turks & Caicos Islands | Prime Video |
| United Kingdom | Prime Video £8.99 GBP, Skygo |
| Uruguay | Prime Video $U249 |
| Venezuela | Prime Video |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
Danny DeVito directs a 98-minute fantasy comedy where a brilliant girl wields a special gift against her neglectful parents. The hook is the specific texture of the cruelty: it is not just mean, it is bureaucratic. Her parents fail to see that she is brilliant. The headmistress is terrifying and sadistic. The film works because the magic feels like a shield, not a superpower. It is for anyone who has ever wanted to rearrange a room without moving a muscle.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes lists a 92% approval rating as of August 2024. Metacritic sits at 72 out of 100 as of November 2025, a score it labels generally favorable. The consensus leans toward charm. Caroline Westbrook, writing for Empire, praised Danny DeVito’s direction. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times liked the oddity, noting Trunchbull is ridiculous enough to be fun. Audiences gave it a B+ on CinemaScore. It is a film that captures the book’s spirit, even when it diverges from it.
How it did with audiences
$36 million to make, $33 million back in the US. That is a loss in the ledger, though the film opened third behind A Time to Kill and Independence Day, so the box office was busy. It eventually grossed $47 million worldwide. On TMDB, users rate it 7.2 out of 10.
What came next for the cast
Danny DeVito moved from Batman Returns to L.A. Confidential. Rhea Perlman left the Cheers universe to wander into The Sessions. Embeth Davidtz traded the gritty trenches of Schindler's List for the cosmic scale of Spider-Man. The timeline offers these jumps, but it does not explain the mechanism. Careers rarely follow a straight line. They meander.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Matilda.
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Sources
- Matilda on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q280400 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Matilda (1996 film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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