THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE: Enchanting or just lost in the woods?

Kermode & Mayo’s Take

Sony Music

Film Interviews, Tv & Film, Film Reviews, Tv Reviews

4.3 • 2.9K Ratings

🗓️ 26 March 2026

⏱️ 76 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time. On this week’s episode of Kermode and Mayo’s Take, director François Ozon joins us to talk about his latest film, The Stranger. He sits down with Simon and Mark to discuss the inspirations behind the story, balancing ambiguity and tension, and the challenges of bringing such a distinctive vision to the screen—along with a few reflections on his wider body of work and the themes that continue to draw him in. You’ll be able to hear Mark’s full verdict on The Stranger in two weeks’ time, and this week we have a packed slate of new releases. First up, The Magic Faraway Tree brings a beloved children’s classic to life with a mix of whimsy, adventure, and a touch of nostalgia. Then there’s Splitsville, a comedy exploring relationships in all their messy, unpredictable glory. And finally, They Will Kill You, a new horror starring Tom Felton—son of Jason Isaacs, of course. They’re really related you know, just like all the Skarsgårds and Sargaards….The Elsewhere, we’ll have all the usual Take treats: the box office top 10, a Laughter Lift that may (or may not) brighten your week, and your ever-wonderful correspondence. Thanks for listening! You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts To advertise on this show contact: podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Timecodes: 00:00:00 Show starts 00:07:57 Splitsville 00:14:59 Box Office top ten 00:31:43 François Ozon Interview 00:44:11 They Will Kill You review 00:51:35 Laughter Lift 00:56:56 The Magic Faraway Tree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you by Mooby, the global film company that champions great cinema.
0:06.8	From iconic directors to emerging hauteur's, there's always something new to discover.
0:11.5	With Mooby, each and every film is hand-selected so you can explore the best of cinema.
0:16.9	Yes, a new to Mooby in the UK this March is the brilliant, no other choice from Park Chanwick. If you're a regular listener at the show, you will have heard me reviewing the film and raving about it, actually kind of struggling to describe it because it's a black comedy, it's a thriller, it's a social satire, it's about a man whose life starts to fall apart and he takes unreasonable measures to correct things. I was absolutely fascinated by it.
0:38.5	I thought it was a terrific film.
0:40.0	And as I said, it's coming to Mooby in the UK from March the 13th.
0:43.1	You can try Mooby free for 30 days at Mooby.com slash Kermode & Mayo.
0:49.1	That's Mubi.com slash Kermud & Mayo for a whole month of great cinema for free.
0:55.5	There really is no other choice.
0:58.7	Hey Simon, how was your trip to Copenhagen with the family?
1:01.4	Well, it was very nice, thank you very much.
1:04.2	Great. How come you never call when you're away?
1:06.7	I'm not wasting good holiday money calling you.
1:09.6	Charming. Why don't you get an e-sim? It'll provide an internet connection wherever you travel and save you money on roaming fees. Well, it sounds ideal, but did you have one in mind per chance? Well, it's funny you should ask. Yes, I do. It's called Sayleigh, and it's an e-Sim service app brought to you by the creators of NordVPN.
1:28.8	Oh yeah, we like them, don't we?
1:33.4	We do. It's dead easy. All you have to do is download the app in your device and buy an ESIM plan.
1:39.1	Then follow the instructions on the app to install the ESIM, and it will be activated instantly on arrival. It'll significantly reduce and even eliminate roaming fees in over 200 destinations.
1:44.1	No more queuing at a dodgy airport kiosk.
1:46.5	And chat support is available 24-7 if you ever need help.
1:49.7	Well, that all sounds great.
1:51.4	I don't suppose you've got an offer code to share whilst you're feeling generous.
1:55.2	Well, as it happens, I do.
	...

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