The NeverEnding Story
1984 · Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
A bullied kid finds a book about a kid on a quest, and the book starts talking to him. Atreyu. Falkor. The Swamps of Sadness. The horse.
Why It's Cult
The NeverEnding Story is 80s Germany at its most ambitious — Wolfgang Petersen with Muppet-scale practical effects and a Limahl theme song that outlives everyone. The Artax scene scarred a generation; the end of the film is unambiguously about grief. Kid movie doing more than kid-movie work.
The Plot, Officially
Bastian is a young boy who lives a dreary life being tormented by school bullies. On one such occasion he escapes into a book shop where the old proprieter reveals an ancient story-book to him, which he is warned can be dangerous. Shortly after, he "borrows" the book and begins to read it in the school attic where he is drawn into the mythical land of Fantasia, which desperately needs a hero to save it from destruction.
Starring
Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, Tami Stronach
Where to Watch
via JustWatch →
