Parents' Guide to

School of Magical Animals

By Tom Cassidy, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

German book adaptation is fun for kids too young for Potter.

Movie PG 2023 93 minutes
School of Magical Animals movie poster: A girl with red hair and a blonde boy and black haired boy smile at the camera, while a magical tortoise and fox jump in the air

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • School of Magical Animals: A girl with red hair peers from behind a bush with a smiling magical fox
  • School of Magical Animals: Under a table, a tortoise and a fox fist bump, a man's legs are also visible
  • School of Magical Animals: A girl with red hair in plaits chats with a black-haired boy wearing a black leather jacket and white t-shirt

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 3 parent reviews

f B.
f B. Parent of 3 and 6-year-old
June 2, 2023
age 7+

surprised to see it endorsed

Kids display mean behavior. We turned it off. Not for kindergarten and below
Ambelina
Ambelina Parent of 9-year-old
April 2, 2024
age 7+

See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In SCHOOL OF MAGICAL ANIMALS, Ida (Emilia Maier) moves to a new school and is assigned a magical talking fox. Lonely Benni (Leonard Conrads) is also given an animal and the pair team up to solve the mystery of the school super-thief.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (3 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Early in this family-friendly German fantasy adventure, a character mentions Hogwarts, making the Harry Potter comparison so the viewer doesn't have to. But despite also being based on a series of popular books, School of Magical Animals does its own thing, and does it well. A cheerful and fun adventure for younger kids, the film keeps its focus tight and succeeds at everything it needs to. Its talking magical animals are all charming. While the adventure and mystery is exciting but low stakes enough to be suitable for the target audience. Most importantly, the characters all come across well and learn valuable lessons. Ida and Benni are both great young role models, and even kids who were at first mean are given the chance to show their true kindness. Brimming with positive feeling, this is a fun-packed movie that perfectly fits that pre-Potter audience.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the friendships in School of Magical Animals. How did the characters' lives change once they had someone to share their feelings with? How do your own friendships compare? What makes a good friend?

  • How did some of the characters display good communication, gratitude, perseverance, and teamwork? Why are these so important? When have you shown these life skills in your own life?

  • What kind of magical animal would you like as a friend and why? What would you do with them?

  • The movie is based on a series of books. Have you seen any other movies based on books?

  • Did this movie remind you of any others you've seen? If so, what were they and what were the similarities?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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