Where to watch The Fabelmans on TV this Weekend
This Saturday at 21:15, Channel 4 presents the free-to-air television premiere of The Fabelmans, a deeply personal coming-of-age drama inspired by the early life of Steven Spielberg.
Written and directed by the legendary filmmaker, the film explores the formative years of a young boy whose fascination with cinema becomes both an escape and a way of understanding the complicated world around him. It’s a story about family, identity, creativity, and the spark that turns childhood curiosity into artistic destiny.
A Childhood Transformed by Cinema
Set in 1950s New Jersey, the story begins with young Sammy Fabelman (Mateo Zoryan) being taken to see Cecil B. DeMille’s The Greatest Show on Earth by his parents. What follows is a moment of revelation.
The spectacle of the film doesn’t simply entertain Sammy — it ignites something profound. The images linger, replaying in his mind until he feels compelled to recreate them using toy trains and a borrowed camera.
His mother Mitzy, played by Michelle Williams, recognises the creative impulse immediately. Encouraging, intuitive, and artistically inclined, she nurtures Sammy’s imagination. His father Burt, portrayed by Paul Dano, views things rather differently — pragmatic, methodical, and slightly baffled by his son’s obsession.
Between them stands Benny Loewy (Seth Rogen), Burt’s best friend, whose warmth and humour offer Sammy a welcome counterbalance to his father’s stern logic.
From Hobby to Calling
As Sammy grows — now played by Gabriel LaBelle — his playful experiments develop into genuine skill. The family’s successive moves eventually land them in California, where Sammy enters high school already displaying the instincts of a natural filmmaker.
But adolescence brings challenges beyond mastering camera angles. As one of the few Jewish students in a sea of confident, sun-kissed classmates, Sammy finds himself isolated and targeted. The cruelty he faces becomes another lens through which he processes his surroundings.
Art, Identity and Emotional Truth
What makes The Fabelmans so compelling is its delicate balance of warmth and melancholy. Spielberg’s direction captures the wonder of youthful creativity alongside the quiet fractures within Sammy’s family life.
Cinema becomes more than a passion — it becomes a tool for discovery. Through the camera, Sammy begins to see truths that are painful, complicated, and impossible to ignore.
A Stellar Ensemble Cast
Alongside its autobiographical heart, the film boasts exceptional performances across the board. Williams delivers a luminous portrayal of a woman torn between responsibility and longing, while Dano gives Burt a gentle, human complexity. LaBelle anchors the story with sensitivity and restraint, embodying Sammy’s mix of vulnerability and determination.
Why You Should Watch
Part memoir, part love letter to filmmaking, The Fabelmans is both intimate and universal. It’s about the first time a child realises what they want to be — and the emotional cost of growing into that dream.
Whether you’re a film lover or simply drawn to stories about family and self-discovery, this is essential viewing.