Little Otik

Little Otik (2000)

  • 84% of critics liked it
    (43 reviews)

  • 83% of users liked it
    (5,695 ratings)

Acclaimed animator Jan Svankmajer combines cartoon and live-action imagery to bring to life a bizarre story based on an old Czech folk tale. Karel (Jan Hartl) and Bozena (Veronika Zilkova) are a married couple who desperately want a child, but have been unable to conceive; Alzbetka (Kristina… More

In Theaters
Dec 19, 2001 Limited
Zeitgeist Films

Critic Reviews

  • Gary Dowell, Dallas Morning News

    Svankmajer has created a bizarre cinematic treat that pokes fun at obsessive consumer culture.

  • Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

    It's no surprise that Jan Svankmajer's Little Otik is dark, strange stuff.

  • Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

    The cumulative impact of Little Otik is engrossing and provocative, and Svankmajer draws splendid ensemble performances across the board.

  • Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

    Svankmajer sends us home haunted.

  • Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

    Its dark whimsy doesn't hold up for the duration of Svankmajer's film version, which, at more than two hours, seriously wears out its welcome.

Read all 17 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Greg S


    An infertile couple pretend a tree stump is a baby, but trouble arises when it comes to life and needs to be fed. The laughs are as twisted as the gnarled roots little Otik uses to grab his dinner in this black comedy adaptation of a European folktale with hints of horror and flecks… More

  • Randy T


    Little Shop of Horrors, with a Czech twist. An off-beat (to say the least) rendering of a fanciful fairy tale. Consider this a rave review for a ravenous root. :)

  • Arash X


    Like merging Lynch's The Grandmother & Eraserhead and making it more straightforward but also more twisted at the same time

  • Tsubaki S


    Yet another reason for not having kids ever.

  • El Hombre I


    Little Otik is one strange film, conceived and executed with some really fun stop-motion effects. The strongest section of the film has a psychological intensity that builds horrifically. Jan Svankmajer's Little Otik, like Eraserhead, is one of those indescribable films that… More

Read all 11 featured audience ratings

Currently unavailable on Flixster

Also available on

Other Retailers

Not Available
Not Available
Not Available

Subscription Services

Not Available
Not Available
Not Available

More Like This