Paperhouse (1988)
A haunting British fantasy-drama where a lonely girl's pencil drawings become a dream world with terrifying, real-world consequences.
Paperhouse - Movie Information
- Release Year: 1988
- Directed by: Bernard Rose
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Drama, Fantasy
- Age Rating (US): PG-13
- Runtime: 1h 32m
- Original Language: English
- Spoken Languages: English
- Release Date (Theatrical): February 17, 1989 (United States - PG-13), June 2, 1989 (United Kingdom - 15)
- Production Companies: Working Title Films
- Production Countries: United Kingdom
Paperhouse - Plot
A young girl lost in the loneliness and boredom of reality finds solace in an ill boy, whom she can visit in a surreal dream world that she drew in her school composition book.
Paperhouse - Trailer
Watch the official trailer and step into Anna's unsettling dream world:
A drawing that became a dream. A dream that became reality.
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Paperhouse - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Bernard Rose
Main Cast
- Charlotte Burke
- Elliott Spiers
- Glenne Headly
- Gemma Jones
- Ben Cross
- Jane Bertish
- Sarah Newbold
- Steven O'Donnell
- Samantha Cahill
- Gary Bleasdale
Writers
- Matthew Jacobs
Producers
- Tim Bevan
- Sarah Radclyffe
Paperhouse - FAQs
What is Paperhouse about?
Paperhouse follows Anna, a lonely and restless young girl who begins drawing a house in her notebook. Each time she falls ill and drifts into a fever dream, she finds herself inside that very house — and discovers a boy named Marc who cannot walk. The film blurs the line between imagination and reality in deeply unsettling ways.
Does Anna's drawing actually control the dream world?
Yes — and that's what makes Paperhouse so compelling. Whatever Anna draws or erases in her notebook directly shapes the dream world she enters. Add a window and it appears; scribble out a face and the consequences become terrifying. The film uses this mechanic to explore how imagination can both create and destroy.
Where can you stream Paperhouse?
You can watch Paperhouse for free on Tubi TV (with ads) or stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads. It's also available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home.
Is Marc in the dream a real person?
That ambiguity is at the heart of the film. Marc appears to be a real, seriously ill boy whose existence somehow intersects with Anna's dream world. As the story unfolds, the boundary between Anna's imagination and Marc's actual reality becomes increasingly blurred, giving the film its eerie emotional weight.
Who are the main actors in Paperhouse?
Charlotte Burke leads the cast as Anna, delivering a remarkably naturalistic performance for a child actor. Elliott Spiers plays Marc, the mysterious boy in the dream. Glenne Headly and Ben Cross appear as Anna's parents, with Gemma Jones rounding out the cast as her doctor.
Is Paperhouse based on a book or true story?
Paperhouse is adapted from the 1958 children's novel Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr. The book explores similar themes of a sick girl whose drawings come to life in her dreams. Screenwriter Matthew Jacobs updated the story for a contemporary setting while preserving its psychological and fantastical core.
Is Paperhouse worth watching for fantasy film fans?
Absolutely. Paperhouse is a genuinely underrated gem — a quiet, atmospheric fantasy that feels closer to a waking nightmare than a children's film. Bernard Rose crafts something deeply unsettling and emotionally resonant, and the Hans Zimmer and Stanley Myers score amplifies every moment of dread and wonder.
What movies are similar to Paperhouse?
If Paperhouse resonated with you, try MirrorMask (2005) for its hand-drawn dream world aesthetic, A Monster Calls (2016) for its emotionally raw blend of fantasy and childhood grief, Coraline (2009) for its dark imaginative world, or Before I Wake (2016) for its similarly blurred line between dreams and reality.
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