Pupa sees a young boy walking up in a sweat having just had a nightmare where a creature under his skin breaks out. He walks to find a cut on his forehead and, seeing something moving underneath, he puts a plaster on it – but just like the butterfly next to his bed, it is clear a change is coming.
There is a narrative here which is about puberty and the fear in the young character of the change that it will bring, a fear which he puts not only on himself but extends to all those around him who have already gone through the change; this aspect of the film exists but perhaps is not as well done as it thinks. I wasn't sure why the monster idea would extend beyond the boy himself and the film doesn't make that clear. However this is not to say that the device does not work, because if you just assume it is a fear of adulthood, the creation of the monsters and the world of "worst case" is a good approach and it fits with the very young boy and his mind. The animation is really good – the monsters are the colorful, mad creations of a child but yet at the same time they are genuinely creepy and I was surprised that there were a few moments in this short film that I found unnerving as images.
Perhaps it doesn't link to the idea of a child struggling with the concept of puberty as well as it wants to, but it is still a very effective short film on the theme generally – with the design, animation and delivery making a really good impact.
