Release: The Midnight Library

 

The Midnight Library

Genre: Fantasy

Director: Michel Gondry

Writer: Meirad Tako

Based on the novel by Matt Haig

Cast: Jessie Buckley, Julie Walters, Daryl McCormack, Ben Whishaw, Jack Lowden, Meirad Tako

Budget: $40,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $50,000,009

Foreign Box Office: $28,105,055

Total Profit: $2,233,323

Reaction: The Midnight Library didn't set the box office on fire, but it's a welcome small profit for writer Meirad Tako in the midst of a little box office slump.

"The Midnight Library is a visually inventive and emotionally resonant adaptation that captures the introspective spirit of its source material. Michel Gondry’s direction brings a dreamlike fluidity to the shifting realities, while Jessie Buckley delivers a deeply affecting performance, grounding the film’s philosophical ideas in raw emotion. Though some transitions between lives feel slightly abrupt, the film’s core message about regret and possibility lands with genuine power." - George Overmyer, Baltimore Magazine

"While The Midnight Library has a compelling premise, its execution often feels repetitive and overly on-the-nose. The structure—jumping from one alternate life to another—quickly becomes formulaic, with each scenario delivering a similar lesson in slightly different packaging. Gondry’s visual style adds flair, but the script leans heavily on exposition to spell out its themes rather than trusting the audience to engage with them. Buckley is strong, but the film’s emotional beats begin to feel predictable as it progresses." - Jason Helm, New York Observer​​​​​​​​​​​

“Although a great concept, The Midnight Library fails to deliver. The film is not all bad though, Jessie Buckley delivers a good performance throughout. It had the bones of a great story, yet begun to feel repetitive in the constant lives of Nora. Overall, the Midnight Library was a great idea that just lacked some execution.” - Elena Strauss, The Continental Screen

Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving suicide and brief language.