What Is The Film The Spiderwick Chronicles About?

“The Spiderwick Chronicles” was released in 2008. It is a fantasy film based on a book with the same title.

“The Spiderwick Chronicles” tells the story of three children, Simon, Jared and Mallory, who move into their great aunt's mansion with their mother. Jared is upset as his mother and father have recently divorced.  Later, in the mansion, Jared finds a key, which he uses to open a chest. Within the chest, he discovers a guide to faeries, which as been written by Arthur Spiderwick, who was the owner of the mansion. The book is not meant to be read by anyone, but Jared reads it anyway.

Later, he encounters a creature called Thimbletack. Thimbletack changes his appearance whenever he gets angry and tells Jared that there are magical creatures in the area, that can be seen whenever they decide to show themselves. He informs Jared that the mansion is protected by a circle that Arthur Spiderwick placed around it. To help Jared see the creatures, Thimbletack gives him a stone.

A creature named Mulgarath discovers that Jared has the guide to faeries, which he wishes to obtain so that he can be the ruler of all magical creatures. He sends a group of his creatures to obtain the book, but they kidnap Simon, thinking that he is Jared due to the fact that they are identical twins. Jared immediately sets out to save Simon and is helped by a creature named Hogsqueal, who helps him to see the creatures without the stone. Jared manages to save Simon, but they are chased by the creatures back to the house. As they are trying to escape, Mallory intervenes. The boys explain about the monsters and she initially doesn't believe them, but then realises they are telling the truth when Jared makes her see the monsters by giving her the stone.

Later, the children go to see Lucinda. She tells him that the book must be destroyed, but to that, the children must first find Arthur Spiderwick. It is revealed that Lucinda is Arthur Spiderwick's daughter and he was taken away from her by faeries when she was just a child. Later, Mulgarath manages to obtain pages of the book that will allow him and his goblins to break the protective circle around the house by the time the moon arrives.

Jared, Mallory and Simon go to see Arthur, using his pet griffin to travel there. When they arrive, Arthur seems confused and does not realise that he has been held captive by Sylphs, a kind of faerie, for years. Arthur gives them advice about the book and with his help, the children manage to distract the Sylphs so that they can return home.

When they arrive back at the mansion, they immediately begin preparing for the arrival of Mulgarath and his goblins. Their mother, Helen, is confused as to what the children are doing but they explain what is happening and help her to see the goblins by using the stone, just like Jared and Simon did with Mallory. As they kill as the goblins, Jared is momentarily distracted by the arrival of his father, who has come to apologise for previously letting Jared down and not being there for him. As his father speaks, Jared realises something isn't right and discovers that it is not his father, but in fact Mulgarath using a disguise. Jared stabs Mulgarath, and runs off with the book. Mulgarath uses he shape-shifting ability to transform into a raven. Unfortunately for him, ravens are one of Hogsqueal's favourite food, and as Mulgarath flies past him, Hogsqueal eats him.

In the final scenes of the film, Lucinda is brought back to the house just as Arthur is brought back by the Sylphs. There is a tearful reconciliation between father and daughter and Lucinda chooses to go back with the Sylphs with her father. She is then transformed back into the child she was when Arthur first disappeared and the two leave Mallory, Jared, Simon and Helen and travel back with the Sylphs.