With Seven Academy awards and several breakout movies just in the past decade, including, The French Dispatch, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Fantastic Mr. Fox, it is clear that director Wes Anderson is in his prime, and “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” is an amazing addition to the 54-year-old director’s filmography. 

The film is a 40-minute-long short story that perfectly displays Anderson’s talented filmmaking abilities: the movie exudes a definite theatrical aesthetic that makes the film particularly pleasurable to audiences. 

Anderson obtained the rights for the film over 10 years ago, so “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” has been – understandably – highly anticipated. It was adapted from the 1977 short story collection by author Roald Dahl.  However, Anderson is no stranger to the British author’s work, following the clear success of “Fantastic Mr. Fox” in November of 2009.

The film follows Henry Sugar, an incredibly rich man who discovers a story about a peculiar sage who can see without his eyes. Sugar is particularly interested in the story, and dedicates his entire life to replicating the sage’s gift. 

As the film progresses, the audience is introduced to multiple different subplots, including the tale of Imdad Khan (Ben Kingsley) a circus performer who can see without his eyes, while also following the journey of a doctor (Dev Patel) as he attempts to publish the revolutionary acts of Kahn in a medical journal. 

The casting choice of Cumberbatch proved to be a good choice; he fits well into the unique style of Wes Anderson movies. But Patel was particularly a standout. He makes quirky and humorous acting choices that are very compelling. 

Viewers will really enjoyed Kinglsey’s acting as well: his approach to Imdad Khan was refreshing. Kingsley’s dry wit, humor, and stoic storytelling are excellent additions to the film. 

Though the movie definitely holds a candle to other Anderson films, the unique storytelling nature of it differentiates itself. The film reads like a book, which distances the audience from the film itself. Understandably, the film is a book to screen adaptation, however, if viewers wanted their movies read out to them, why wouldn’t someone just read the book? 

The film does move at an unusually fast pace: the dialogue is fast and easily takes the viewer out of the movie if not paying full attention. But those who are astute will find “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” very rewarding in the end. 

The original story was intended for a teen audience, which clearly translates into Anderson’s film. It is short enough to captivate a young person for the entire span of the movie. When the film ends, the finale is not abrupt, and does not leave one with a sense of longing, but rather a sweet farewell. 

Despite the film’s brevity, the film provides an immersive story, with a variety of settings and technical aspects, including its cinematography and visuals.

“The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” is just one installment of the Anderson short films that hit Netflix late September: “The Swan” premiered September 28, “The Rat Catcher” followed the next day, and the so-called week of Wes Anderson ended with the premiere of “Poison” on September 30. All are Dahl novels.