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The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden

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202099 minPGMidcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Director
Marc Munden
Starring
Dixie Egerickx, Tommy Gene Surridge, Colin Firth, Julie Walters

Mary Lennox is born in India to wealthy British parents who never wanted her. When her parents suddenly die, she is sent back to England to live with her uncle. She meets her sickly cousin, and the two children find a wondrous secret garden lost in the grounds of Misselthwaite Manor.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Secret Garden?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Secret Garden streaming on Peacock and Tubi (free).

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Secret Garden?

The Secret Garden earns 3 badges, led by Visual feast and Award Winner.

  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is The Secret Garden worth watching?

The Secret Garden's Midcredits score is the 31st percentile of all films, from 31K ratings across 6 sources. 31% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

31st percentile

Better received than 31% of films

26th percentile among Drama32nd percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)39th
Approval (how many liked it)24th

58 /100

39th percentile of all films

37th percentile among Drama42nd percentile among 2020s

Critics 59 · Audience 58

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.7 — solid but not unanimous.

31% liked it

24th percentile of all films

19th percentile among Drama26th percentile among 2020s
31% rated it 7–1069% rated it 1–6

Critics 66% · Audience 41%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 3 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

95th percentile

31K ratings across platforms

96th percentile among Drama95th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 28% in 30 days

Box office

Worldwide gross$8.7M

84th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is visually beautiful but takes significant liberties with the original story.

Fans praised

  • visually stunning with vibrant garden and cinematography
  • heartwarming themes of healing, hope, and overcoming grief
  • strong lead performance by Dixie Egerickx as Mary

Detractors panned

  • deviates too far from the book's essence and character arcs
  • overblown CGI replaces the story's quiet, grounded magic
  • poor character development; flat, rushed, or soulless

What stands out

Cinematography82

Lush visual contrast between drab mansion and vibrant garden

Atmosphere70

Gothic gloom gives way to magical wonder; immersive but uneven

Acting68

Dixie Egerickx praised as standout; adults like Colin Firth and Julie Walters underused or phoned in

Effects and spectacleDivisive65

Excessive CGI garden; some find it magical, others garish and overdone

Emotional impactDivisive55

Fans find it heartwarming and cathartic; detractors call it hollow and saccharine

CharactersDivisive42

Flat, abrasive protagonists; Martha and Dickon stripped of warmth; little growth

Plot and storyDivisive38

Deviation from source material loses the gardening/hard-work core; added house fire and supernatural elements

OriginalityDivisive30

Unnecessary remake; changes feel contrived and derivative

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s even
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Secret Garden like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something warm that leaves you smiling.

It is gentle, takes its time and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

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

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
HopefulMelancholicWarm
Heaviest: throughout
Register
WarmTender · 13% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its material with earnest warmth, blending wonder and grief without irony.
The rideA steady, gentle blend of sadness and burgeoning hope, with emotional weight evenly distributed across the runtime.
StructureThe film follows a linear chronological narrative, with a clear beginning (arrival at manor), middle (discovery of garden and Colin), and end (healing and reunion).

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulFeel-good
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a warm, lingering hope about the power of connection and nature to heal.
How it ends · evidence
Happy 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).RebirthHealing
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% (this title) · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Healing: Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).

13% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeAn orphaned girl's journey to heal a hidden garden and her cousin mirrors the rebirth archetype of healing and renewal.

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 filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · 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%
  • 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% (this title) · 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

Family bondsGrief · 6% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film follows orphaned Mary as she rebuilds family ties with her uncle and cousin, healing their shared grief.
StanceThe film celebrates the healing power of family bonds and nature, with Mary and Colin sharing the focus of the story.

The world

Mid 20th centuryRuralDomesticWildernessMagical realism
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Dario Marianelli
SettingMisselthwaite Manor on the Yorkshire moors, 1900s
MusicA lush, melodic orchestral score that mirrors the garden's gradual revival.

Content guide

Is The Secret Garden okay for kids?

PG

The Secret Garden is rated PG: “Rated PG for thematic elements and some mild peril” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (26/100), sexual content at minimal (11/100), language at minimal (4/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (11/100) and frightening material at moderate (38/100). Overall it is heavier than 19% of PG-rated films.

Ratings in 17 other countries
  • UKPG
  • AustraliaPG
  • Germany6
  • FranceTP
  • IrelandPG
  • New ZealandPG
  • South Korea전체관람가
  • Brazil14
  • GreeceΚ
  • IndiaU/A 13+
  • Netherlands6
  • Poland12
  • PortugalM/12
  • SingaporePG
  • SpainAPTA
  • Sweden11
  • Taiwan普遍級
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 5% of all filmsHeavier than 19% of PG-rated films
Violence & Gore
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 26%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 18%
Profanity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 6%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 21%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 52%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is frightening material, heavier than 52% of PG-rated films.

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 The Secret Garden have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Secret Garden?

Cast

3 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Dixie Egerickx
as Mary
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Tommy Gene Surridge
as Billy
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Colin Firth
as Archibald Craven
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Julie Walters
as Mrs. Medlock
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Maeve Dermody
as Alice
Edan Hayhurst
as Colin
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Amir Wilson
as Dickon
Isis Davis
as Martha
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Richard Hansell
as George
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
David Verrey
as Jeremy
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Secret Garden?

Movies like The Secret Garden include The Secret Garden (1993), A Little Princess (1995) and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and most are stories about orphans.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

5 of these 12 share its world: magical realism. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Secret Garden?

3.8K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: child. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.