Greetings, commies!
Synopsis:
A talented stop-motion animator is consumed by the grotesque world of her horrifying creations with deadly results.
My thoughts:
First of all, how did such a potent horror gem end up with such an underwhelming, minimalist title. "Stopmotion". It's like naming your cat "Kitty" or "Whiskers". I am willing to make an exception for historical films referencing specific individuals or events, like "Napoleon" or "Pearl Harbor". This horror film deserves a more menacing, elaborate title. Rant over.
"Stopmotion" should be watched in tandem with 2002 "May". The two films feed off of each other thematically, esthetically and psychologically. Both actresses look alike. Aisling Franciosi, who plays Ella, resembles Angela Bettis, who played May. Both actresses are ambivalently 20-something, have an old-maidish vibe about them. Both characters are a bit out of touch with reality, at odds with humanity and have a love-hate relationship with their inner demons. "Stopmotion" leans on some of the proven horror gimmicks. Yes, there is a freaky child / imaginary friend / alter ego. There is a toxic mother-daughter relationship that echoes "Black Swan" and "Carrie". It's really hard to come up with truly original conflicts. So you basically reuse the same staples - with unique touches. What sets "Stopmotion" apart is the sheer horror of the creatures that come from Ella's imagination. The grotesque synthetic monsters are worthy of Guillermo del Torro's vision.
