Roald Dahl’s magical tale of a genius 6-year-old is adapted by none other than Danny DeVito in this Nineties masterpiece. Locked up by her TV-obsessed parents (DeVito and Rhea Perlman), bookworm Matilda (Mara Wilson) is finally sent to school but soon finds it’s a hellish, abusive place called Crunchem Hall, run by the terrifying and iconic Miss Trunchbull (Pam Ferris). Matilda navigates the place with her sheer moxie, a splash of telekinesis, and the help of the sweet and kind Miss Honey (Embeth Davidtz, who caused more than a few lesbian awakenings). In an anti-intellectual world increasingly taken over by algorithms and AI assistants, a whimsical reminder of the human mind’s power feels like a cool tonic right about now. And who could forget the chocolate cake scene?? Yowch. – Lina Fisher
