Cruella Review

Certificate: 12A

Running time: 134 minutes 

Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, Mark Strong

Directed by: Craig Gillespie

The story: Estella is determined to make a name for herself in fashion. But when she comes to the attention of Baroness von Hellman, their relationship sees the beginning of the creation of the villainous Cruella.

The verdict: When it comes to the Disney films, I have always liked 101 Dalmatians but truth be told, Cruella De Vil has never been one of my favourite villains. However, having both a love of a villain origin story and of Emma Stone, I was pretty excited for this film and fortunately it did not disappoint. 

Cruella starts with a bang and doesn’t let up, which is even more impressive considering its lengthy running time of 134 minutes. It is engaging and highly watchable throughout and it never felt flat or boring at any point. This is in part due to a great ensemble cast and great performances, but Cruella also boasts an awesome soundtrack, possibly the best of the year so far and I spent much of the film resisting the urge to dance and sing along. 

Another one of the aspects of Cruella that I particularly enjoyed was all the references and hints at 101 Dalmatians. Anyone familiar with 101 Dalmatians will recognise these allusions and this is yet another detail that makes Cruella such a fun watch. 

As already mentioned above, the performances were great. Emma Stone and Emma Thompson both take centre stage and shine in their exaggerated and flamboyant roles. I also loved Joel Fry and Paul Walter Hauser as Horace and Jasper. They provided plenty of comic relief and there were several times where I laughed aloud.

Sometimes you just need a film that is a really fun cinema experience, a film that engages you and is an easy watch and Cruella does exactly that. 

The rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (note - a strong four that may even go up on a rewatch).