My quick rating - 5.3/10. I was immediately greeted with the familiar logo of Shudder, which sets the stage for what you’re about to experience. As a fan of stop-motion animation, I was intrigued to see how this unique style would be used in a horror setting, but while the film had potential, it ultimately didn’t quite deliver. The story centers on Ella Blake (played by Aisling Franciosi), a stop-motion animator grappling with the recent loss of her overbearing mother. As she throws herself into a new project, her grip on reality begins to slip, and the characters she painstakingly animates start to take on a life of their own. The film uses Ella’s deteriorating mental state as a vehicle to explore themes of grief, creativity, and madness, with the lines between her work and her reality becoming increasingly blurred. One of the highlights I often don't notice is the film’s sound production and music choices, which add to the eerie and unsettling atmosphere. The drug-induced "tripping" scene is particularly well-executed, giving you a glimpse into Ella’s fractured psyche. However, despite these strengths, Stopmotion struggles to maintain momentum. The pacing is uneven, and while the concept is intriguing, the execution feels disjointed. The film doesn’t fully capitalize on the potential of its stop-motion elements, which could have been used more effectively to heighten the horror. Instead, it feels like a missed opportunity, with moments that could have been truly terrifying falling flat. In the end, it is a film that has some strong points but doesn’t quite live up to its premise. It’s worth a watch for fans of the genre, especially those who appreciate the art of stop-motion animation, but it may leave you wanting more.
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