Junior and Karlson (1968): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1968, Junior and Karlson is an adventure, family and animation film directed by Boris Stepantsev, running about 19 minutes.

What it’s about. A Soviet cult cartoon, so untypical for a Western viewer, especially, a little one. A boy named Malysh ("A Little One") suffers from solitude being the youngest of the three children in a Swedish family. The acute sense of solitude makes him desperately want a dog, but before he gets one, he "invents" a friend - the very Karlson who lives upon the roof. So typical for the Russian culture spirit of mischief, which is, actually, never punished, and the notion that relative welfare not necessarily means happiness made the book by Astrid Lindgren and its TV adaptations tremendously popular in the Soviet Union and nowadays Russia and vice versa - somewhat alienated to the Western reader and viewer (see User's comments below). However, both the book and the cartoon are truly universal - entertaining and funny for the children and thought-provoking and somewhat sad for grownups.

Who’s in it. Junior and Karlson stars Vasiliy Livanov as Karlson (voice) and Klara Rumyanova as Junior [Malysh] (voice).

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.0/10, Junior and Karlson has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Junior and Karlson page.

If you liked it. Fans of Junior and Karlson tend to enjoy The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception, Interstellar and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.