THE SAND CASTLE on Netflix is a Fantasy Movie about a grave and all-too-relevant subject. This is a visually gorgeous but absolutely heartbreaking movie that will not be for everyone, but you should give it a chance. Read our full The Sand Castle movie review here!

THE SAND CASTLE is a new Netflix movie that premiered at the Red Sea International Film Festival at the end of 2024. I can’t begin to describe the production quality of this movie that has just four main characters – we do see more people, but not much.

However, you should know that the crew features an Academy Award-winning sound designer along with editors and composers from movies you definitely know. The runtime is 1 hour and 38 minutes and if you open yourself up to this experience, it will stay with you.

Continue reading our The Sand Castle (2024) movie review below. Find it on Netflix from January 24, 2025.

The horrors of war as fantasy

In The Sand Castle, we meet a family of four (mother, father, son, and daughter) stuck on a picturesque island. The colors are amazing and it looks idyllic but clearly the family is struggling. Food is scarce (to put it mildly) and they keep waiting for a ship to come pick them up.

The movie is in Arabic, but the dialogue isn’t how this story is told. Instead, it’s essentially child’s play as we see the youngest child, Jana, pass time on the island by building sand castles and just having her own little adventures. Unfortunately, what lurks below the surface is a dark and heartbreaking reality.

This is, after all, a fantasy movie. Not unlike Guillermo del Toro’s Oscar-winning Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) though the setting feels more like a newer and warm version of the more recent The Damned. As the story evolves, reality and fiction become intertwined, and the line between the two blurs.

The Sand Castle (2024) – Review | Netflix Fantasy Movie

You just might recognize this cast

If you’ve watched the 2018 movie Capernaum, the two kids may look familiar. Obviously, they’re both several years older, but especially Adam portrayed by Zain Al Rafeea is very recognizable still. He played the lead character in Capernaum.

His sister Jana is portrayed by his real-life sister Riman Al Rafeea. Just as the two portrayed siblings in Capernaum. However, for The Sand Castle, Riman Al Rafeea is the character we follow the most.

Their mother in this movie, Yasmine, is played with so much heart by Nadine Labaki who wrote, directed, and co-starred in Capernaum. In other words, it’s quite the Capernaum reunion in The Sand Castle and also ensures that they feel like a family.

The father in The Sand Castle is portrayed by Palestinian actor Ziad Bakri. He wasn’t in Capernaum as well, but you may still recognize him from the 2022 Netflix movie The Weekend Away starring Leighton Meester.

Watch The Sand Castle on Netflix now

The Sand Castle was directed by Matty Brown who also co-wrote the screenplay with Hend Fakhroo and Yassmina Karajah. This is Matty Brown’s feature film debut and I cannot wait to see what comes next. I was floored by much of this movie. Both due to the visually gorgeous choices and the heartbreaking story.

As mentioned earlier, the tech crew previously worked on award-winning movies. They include Academy Award-winning sound Designer Martín Hernandéz (The RevenantBirdmanPan’s Labyrinth), editor Nacho Ruis Capillas (The OthersWhite ElephantTin & Tina), and composer West Dylan Thordson (SplitGlass, and I, Tonya).

In a strange twist of fate, The Sand Castle premiere coincided with the day the Assad regime in Syria collapsed. While we’re never informed of any country or nationality of the characters, they do speak Arabic. Even if you think this may not be your thing, I urge you to give the movie a chance.

It’s a thriller, drama, mystery, and fantasy genre hybrid. At times, it feels like the most brutal horror story as well.

The Sand Castle is on Netflix from January 24, 2025.

Details

Director: Matty Brown
Writers: Matty Brown, Hend Fakhroo, Yassmina Karajah
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Riman Al Rafeea, Zain Al Rafeea

Plot

Stranded on a deserted island, a family of four scavenges for survival as their past unravels, sending them into a downward spiral of painful events.

I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!
Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard
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