Labyrinth (1986):The Musical Fantasy That Asks Students What Growing Up Means to Give Up

Labyrinth introduces students to a fantasy built almost entirely from practical puppetry, physical sets, and original songs written and performed by David Bowie, a style of filmmaking and storytelling students raised on CGI and pop soundtracks rarely encounter. Through Sarah's journey, the movie also puts responsibility and problem solving in front of students directly, since every obstacle in the labyrinth exists because of a wish she made in anger and every solution comes from her own thinking rather than luck.

Sixteen-year-old Sarah is frustrated with babysitting her baby half-brother Toby and wishes aloud for the goblins to take him away. Jareth, the Goblin King, grants the wish and sets a deadline, giving her until midnight to reach his castle at the center of the labyrinth before Toby is turned into a goblin forever. Along the way she teams up with Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus, works through tricks, illusions, and obstacles built into the maze, and eventually confronts Jareth directly, using her own will to take her brother back.

Beyond its puzzle box structure, the movie offers a look at practical effects and puppetry from a director, Jim Henson, whose creature work shaped decades of filmmaking that followed. Its combination of a physical maze, riddles, and a central character who has to think her way out of every trap gives students a story built on logic and persistence rather than one resolved through action alone.

Watch the Trailer

Click to play trailer

🧩 Puts problem solving front and center. Sarah has to think her way through the labyrinth using logic, timing, and trial and error rather than force. Every obstacle she meets has a solution built into it, which makes the movie a running example of working through a puzzle under pressure.

🎵 Built around original songs written and performed by David Bowie. Musical numbers like Magic Dance and As the World Falls Down are not background music, they carry key scenes and shape Jareth's character directly. The movie gives students a fantasy story told partly through songwriting rather than dialogue alone.

🕰️ Builds tension through a hard deadline. Sarah has thirteen hours to reach the Goblin King's castle before her brother is lost for good. That ticking clock gives the story a clear structure students can follow and discuss scene by scene.

🤝 Explores loyalty through unlikely friendships. Sarah teams up with Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus, each of whom has their own reasons for helping or hesitating. Their shifting loyalty, especially Hoggle's, gives students something concrete to track across the story.

💭 Centers a character taking responsibility for her own mistake. Sarah's wish is what puts Toby in danger in the first place, and the entire quest is her working to undo it. The movie ties her growth directly to owning the consequences of what she said in anger.

🏰 Offers a maze structure that rewards close attention. The labyrinth itself is full of misdirection, hidden paths, and rules that shift depending on how Sarah approaches them. Following her route through it gives students a reason to track sequence and cause and effect closely.

⚠️ Things to be aware of:

• Fantasy creatures fight with swords and there are tense chase sequences, but there is no blood or visible gore.
• Mild language includes words like 'hell,' 'damn,' and 'crap.'
• The villain, Jareth, is an adult character who shows romantic and possessive interest in Sarah, a sixteen-year-old.
• There is no sexual content in the movie, and no realistic drinking, drug use, or smoking depicted.

📚 English Language Arts Teachers. Labyrinth gives an ELA class a tightly built story to study, one where every event traces back to a single choice Sarah makes in anger and every scene afterward is a consequence of that choice. The guide includes three sets of differentiated comprehension questions, a storyboard and synopsis writing sequence, and character based creative writing tasks that go beyond simple recall.

🗣️ ESL and ELL Teachers. Labyrinth tells its story through strong visual cues and a clear, linear quest structure, which makes it easier to follow for students who are still building their English. The multiple choice question set works well with ESL and ELL students, giving them a structured way to engage with the plot without relying only on written recall.

🎬 Substitute Teachers and Cover Lessons. Hand it to a substitute and walk away. Everything is self contained and organized, with answer keys included for the comprehension question sets, and a substitute can run the session without having seen the movie.

🏠 Homeschool Parents. Labyrinth works well for a single learner because of its clear structure and puzzle driven plot, which gives a home learner an easy story to follow and discuss. The guide's storyboard, synopsis, and character writing tasks suit independent work, and the differentiated comprehension question sets let a parent match the difficulty to the student's level.

💙 SEL Teachers. Sarah's entire journey through the labyrinth is a consequence of an angry wish she immediately regrets, and the story tracks her working to undo it and rebuild trust with the friends she makes along the way. Her decision to forgive Hoggle after his betrayal, and her closing realization that she still needs her friends even as she grows up, gives students real material for a conversation about responsibility and relationships. The guide does not include dedicated SEL activities, but the comprehension questions keep students accountable while they watch.

🎵 Music Teachers. David Bowie wrote and performed several original songs for the movie, and musical numbers like Magic Dance and As the World Falls Down are built into key scenes rather than added as background. A Music teacher can use the movie to look at how songwriting and performance shape a fantasy story's tone and pacing. The guide does not include dedicated music activities, but the comprehension questions keep students engaged with the material throughout.

🌟 Supporting All Learners Movie guides can be a wonderfully calm fit for students with autism, learning difficulties, and mild to severe disabilities. The structured format gives every student a clear purpose during viewing, easing uncertainty and allowing them to engage at their own pace. If you teach in a special education or learning support setting, you may find this guide a gentle and practical resource. Find out more about why movies work for diverse learners.

Part 1: Comprehension Questions
Three sets of differentiated comprehension questions in chronological order. The first set has 40 questions requiring full sentence answers, the second has 30 questions requiring full sentence answers (a shortened version of the 40 question set), and the third has 30 multiple choice questions with three possible answers each. Answer keys are included for all three sets.

Part 2: Storyboard and Synopsis
A nine scene storyboard where students illustrate and summarize key events in chronological order, building sequencing and summary writing skills. Students then use their completed storyboard to write a structured synopsis of the story, reinforcing narrative organization and clear written expression.

Part 3: Character Writing and Creative Writing
Students choose one character to write about using guided question prompts, then draw a picture of that character. A second creative writing task asks students to imagine and write a short account of what Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus were doing before they met Sarah.