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Peter and The Wolf

Peter and The Wolf

Boys like Peter are not afraid of wolves...

Short200632 minGMidcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Director
Suzie Templeton

Peter is a slight lad, solitary, locked out of the woods by his protective grandfather, his only friend a duck. In town, he's bullied. When a wolf menaces the duck - as well as grandfather's fat cat and an ill-flying bird that Peter has befriended - Peter bravely tries to tree the wolf. Grandfather, the townspeople, and the hunters who have antagonized Peter figure in the dénouement.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Peter and The Wolf?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Peter and The Wolf streaming on Magnolia Selects via Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Peter and The Wolf?

Peter and The Wolf earns 7 badges, led by Oscar Winner and Universally Loved.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Peter and The Wolf worth watching?

Peter and The Wolf's Midcredits score is the 90th percentile of all films, from 14K ratings across 4 sources. 80% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

90th percentile

Better received than 90% of films

85th percentile among Animation89th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)87th
Approval (how many liked it)90th

73 /100

87th percentile of all films

81st percentile among Animation86th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

80% liked it

90th percentile of all films

87th percentile among Animation89th percentile among 2000s
80% rated it 7–1020% rated it 1–6

Awards

1 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 4 wins / 1 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Short Film, Animated
  • NominatedBAFTA Awards· Best Short Animation Film

Reach

How many have seen it

73rd percentile

14K ratings across platforms

50th percentile among Animation65th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 19% in 30 days

Box office

Budget£2M

In British pound, not converted to dollars.

What reviewers say

Common ground

This is a dark, dialogue-free stop-motion retelling of Prokofiev's classic, set in a grim Eastern European landscape.

Fans praised

  • expressive stop-motion with gritty Eastern European atmosphere
  • music and animation synced perfectly, no dialogue needed
  • themes of bullying, loss, and compassion handled with maturity

Detractors panned

  • Peter's perpetually annoyed expression feels lifeless
  • bleak tone and ugly visuals not suitable for young children
  • story is too familiar and derivative

What stands out

Sound and music90

Prokofiev's score performed beautifully, perfectly orchestrated to action

Cinematography85

detailed sets and lighting create a palpable atmosphere

Atmosphere85

bleak, snowy Russian winter; grim and immersive

Acting80

expressive puppet faces convey emotion without words

CharactersDivisive75

Peter is a compelling hero, wolf is a menacing beast

Emotional impactDivisive75

duck's death and Peter's growth are moving

Plot and story70

simple coming-of-age with a brave change to the ending

OriginalityDivisive60

faithful yet updated with a darker, more emotional tone

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Peter and The Wolf like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and uplifting: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be moved and come out lifted.

It takes its time and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Moving and uplifting.

Moods
TenseMelancholicCathartic
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 13% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its material with gravity, presenting a harsh world where danger is real, yet allowing tenderness and a quiet resolve to emerge.
The rideThe film sustains a tense, melancholic atmosphere that peaks with the wolf attack and releases into catharsis when Peter frees the wolf.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically from Peter's oppressive home life through his forest adventure and the wolf's capture and release.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe viewer carries away a feeling of quiet hope from Peter's act of compassion, tempered by the melancholy of the duck's death.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rebirth
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% (this title) · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Liberation: Breaking free of a confining life (Room).

13% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypePeter escapes his grandfather's confinement, faces the wolf, and ends with an act of compassion that signals his personal growth.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFriendship
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% (this title) · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5% (this title)
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Friendship · 9% of filmsFreedom · 5% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themePeter's bond with the duck and the bird drives his courage, and the story ultimately pivots on an act of compassion toward the wolf.
StanceThe film observes Peter's journey without moralizing, presenting cruelty and compassion as coexisting forces in a bleak world.

The world

ContemporaryRuralWildernessRealistic
Orchestral classicalForeground music · original score · Sergei Prokofiev
Settinga remote cottage on the edge of a snow-covered forest in an unspecified Eastern European rural landscape
MusicThe film is set to Prokofiev's original 1936 suite, performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Content guide

Is Peter and The Wolf okay for kids?

G

Peter and The Wolf is rated G. As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (56/100), sexual content at minimal (0/100), language at minimal (0/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 2 other countries
  • UKU
  • Switzerland0
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Moderate
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Profanity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (3 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (16 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Peter and The Wolf have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Peter and The Wolf?

Crew

Directed by

Suzie Templeton

Written by

Sergei ProkofievMarianela MaldonadoSuzie Templeton

Cinematography

Hugh GordonMikolaj Jaroszewicz

Edited by

Tony FishSuzie Templeton

Produced by

Richard Lockhart, Lars Andreas Hellebust, Robert Whitehouse, Zbigniew Żmudzki, Torsten Bönnhoff, Simon Olswang
+3 more, Luc Toutounghi, Alan Dewhurst, Hugh Welchman

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