Stopmotion

While not a terrible film, it's too sparse in its storytelling. The entire experience can be summed up in one sentence: "An animator loses her grip on reality and descends into hallucinatory madness and self-destruction." That's basically the entire "plot" of the story. This visuals are essentially a collection of other artist's influences rolled into 90 rather tedious minutes. Obvious elements of The Brothers Quay (grotesque faces and bodies), Jan Svankmajer (using meat as a medium), and David Lynch (mainly his art projects) were clearly used. Many films have documented a character losing their mind, and this film doesn't break any new ground in that arena. "Repulsion", "Censor", "Possum", and "Jacob's Ladder" (just to name a few) are far more compelling at depicting mental breakdowns while also containing an interesting story. Ultimately the film is watchable and will probably be enjoyed by those with very limited film experience.

Greetings again from the darkness. The art of stop-motion consists of bringing hunks of clay to life and telling an interesting story. It's excruciatingly slow work requiring meticulous attention to detail. The first feature length film from animator-turned-writer/director Robert Morgan is co-written with Robin King, and pays homage to this distinct art form. Of course, since it's a horror film, it also makes good use of the adage ... an artist being consumed by their art.

Aisling Franciosa (so memorable in THE NIGHTINGALE, 2018) stars as Ella Blake, who is assisting her mother (Stella Gonet), a renowned stop-motion artist, with her "last film". Arthritis has seized mom's hands and so she barks orders at her daughter in frustration of her own limitations. Once out from under her mother's controlling ways, Ella finds her own space in an old apartment, where she begins to pursue her own vision. Soon she's visited by an odd and inquisitive little girl (Caolinn Springall), presumably from the neighborhood. The girl labels Ella's work "boring" and proceeds to tell her own story about Ashman, who haunts a girl in the forest over three nights. Ella is captivated, and we quickly recognize she is in the midst of a slow descent into madness ... unaware of who this little girl actually is.

Director Morgan first introduces us to Ella over the opening credits. The flashing lights in a nightclub play visual tricks, and Ella alternates between good and evil looks (think of the two-face syndrome in "Seinfeld"). This is an early clue about the film's path. Morgan also provides contrast between the stark working conditions of the studio (whether it's mom's basement or Ella's apartment) and the more lively and colorful clubs and parties where she hangs out with her boyfriend (Tom York). Adding to the film's visual treats are some unusual camera angles courtesy of cinematographer Leo Hinstin.

The final act features some extreme gore, so be prepared. It's rare for a film to feature raw meat, a dead fox, maggots, and mutilation, but few films have successfully blended the use of stop-action animation with live-action drama. Aisling Franciosa has the instincts to convincingly portray a troubled artist when the wires are crossed between reality and creativity. Getting creeped out is all part of the show.

Opens in theaters on February 23, 2024.

I'm pretty open to checking out nearly every theatrically-released horror movie. Stopmotion had a limited release, but it looked really creepy so I gave it a chance.

There is definitely a lot of good here. I enjoyed the performance by the lead actress. It's filled with really cool, creepy imagery. And the stop motion stuff was done really well.

Unfortunately, a few things really tanked this movie for me. It did a bad job of keeping me invested and engaged. I was fairly bored for such a short movie. And it leans way too far on the metaphorical side for my liking. I get what they were going for. I just need more than that.

When it ended, I felt fully unsatisfied and a bit annoyed.

(1 viewing, 3/19/2024)

Despite having its ups and downs, this film can captivate, in its weakest points I could say that its climax is very short and since the plot is so slow, little by little it is difficult not to imagine what is going to happen, they put a lot of effort in the visuals and left the script aside, since it is a horror story related to the artist and for those who really enjoy stop motion, and its well-crafted sounds. I would say that it is not a movie that you will love, but if it is something that will keep you watching, and that is a lot.

I would recommend watching it the day you want to see something different and if you are a casual viewer like me, and you like a little bit of everything, you should give yourself the opportunity with this movie.

There's nothing "bad" about Stopmotion and I enjoy Aisling Francoisi as a genre actress but there's nothing very interesting or new here. Beyond the cool imagery (which certainly borrows from Dead Ringers and Videodrome) there are 100 other movies with an identical plot and progression and ultimately Stopmotion is just kind-of ends up being a boring and joyless trip down that familiar path.

You could just watch the director's other work to appreciate the macabre art style instead of watching this and probably end up being more satisfied with the viewing experience. I didn't dislike Stopmotion, but it's pretty forgettable.