Stopmotion (2023): A Revelation of Artistic Madness

This seem to be one of those movies you have to prepare for, I love horror movies all kinds until some point, its the amount of grotesque the movie turns out that's usually where I stop. In my personal opinion I think horror movies make you wake up that survival instinct, its always about the demon trying to poses someone, the man who is mentally broken and wants to slaughter everyone as a game, just to put up some examples that when the victim finally overcomes the situation you start thinking "yeah go go go you can" I just love that feeling but when it goes south for me is the grotesque it gets, the amount of blood or flesh. The reason why I open with this argument is because from what I have seen and read about this movie it goes very grotesque and creepy that some critics have mention they had to stop, take five and then continue.

Stopmotion (2023) is an animated horror film where the protagonist, Ella, is going through the grief of her mother’s death and begins to create a film with puppets. However, it takes a dark turn when the puppets come to life and start tormenting her. Ella was struggling the entire time to be as good as her mother who was also a Stop motion artist, Ella has been trying to make it out for herself although was still working on the shadows of her mother and she kept following her instructions but with no results until between all the frustration seen that her hard work is getting her know where a voice pop on her head, it was a girl who suggested a different story, this is when things go south for Ella, at certain point she was so deep into her work that could not tell what was real and what not anymore.

In my case I would not call it to be a must watch on theaters although would be very disturbing watching on VR, very few horror movies I manage to watch on VR, its not about the size of the screen what makes the difference but the isolation from everything else outside that really makes you go deep into the movie so you can imagine why this movie would be hard to watch either on Theaters or VR, at least for me. From the trailer I can tell Ella is not fine at all, the fact that her boyfriend said "she is out of the cave" means she constantly remain at her studio, she even show hurting herself during the trailer for what ever reason aside from anything else that we haven't seen from the trailer so its this isolation feeling that increase the experience but are you really up for it?

Stopmotion (2023) is a creation of the visionary mind of Robert Morgan, a British filmmaker making his debut in feature films. Morgan’s journey in the film world started with short films, but it was his stop-motion masterpiece “Bobby Yeah” that truly ignited his fascination with the sinister and bizarre in stop-motion animation. Bobby Yeah, a 23-minute short horror film, was highly praised by audiences. From an early age, Morgan was drawn to the darker side of storytelling, influenced by early encounters with stop-motion horror in films like Fiend Without a Face from the 1950s. Morgan didn’t see stop-motion as mere children’s entertainment; instead, he viewed it as a medium capable of evoking deep and unsettling emotions, allowing him to express his creativity and madness while reflecting the horror genre he loves.

Among Morgan’s short films are The Cat with Hands (2001), an animated fantasy, and The Separation (2003), a horror film. It seems that horror is indeed this writer-director’s favorite genre. Both shorts received international acclaim for their story and visual effects, laying the groundwork for Morgan’s exploration of the darker aspects of stop-motion animation and setting the stage for his feature film debut with Stopmotion (2023).

The cast of Stopmotion (2024) is led by Aisling Franciosi, known for her compelling performances in suspense films such as The Nightingale, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, and alongside Sandra Bullock in The Unforgivable. Franciosi’s portrayal of Ella Blake, a stop-motion animator struggling with her sanity, is simply convincing. Tom York, known for his roles in acclaimed British TV series like Poldark and Olympus, plays Tom, Ella’s supportive yet troubled boyfriend. Stella Gonet, a seasoned actress who appeared in the film Spencer, brings gravitas to the role of Suzanne, Ella’s mentor and confidante. Also featured is Caoilinn Springall, who made her debut in George Clooney’s Netflix film The Midnight Sky, portraying a mysterious girl who appears in Ella’s dreams. James Swanton, an experienced theater and horror film actor, embodies the enigmatic Ash Man with chilling precision. Jaz Hutchins, Joshua J Parker, and Bridigitta Roy round out the cast, and while their previous works may not be widely known, their performances in Stopmotion (2024) could catapult them to fame.

Stopmotion (2024) explores the relationship between creativity and madness. Ella’s descent into madness reflects Morgan’s fascination with the darker aspects of stop motion animation, as Ella’s creations take on a life of their own, the line between reality and fantasy blurs, leading to a battle for control of her mind. Many have call it a horror masterpiece that recently premiered at select festivals in the United States and the United Kingdom last year, generating a lot of buzz among critics. It was praise as an innovative achievement, captivating audiences with its suspense, unsettling story, and psychological depth. In fact if we go through all the current reviews it has from critics at sites like Rottentomatoes currently its rate is 100% so I wonder how this is going to reflect once the audience get their hands on this movie.