Introduction:
Stopmotion is a British film that is the first full-length movie by the famous short film director Robert Morgan. Surviving is a feature-length film that started as live-action footage shot during the pandemic, the director moulded it with the signature stop-motion animation style of Morgan for a psychological horror that follows a young animator Ella (Aisling Franciosi) who becomes increasingly obsessed with the movie she is creating.
Release Date:
“Stopmotion” was premiered and shown in theatres in the United States on February 23rd of 2024 and the company that oversaw its distribution was IFC Films. Most of the dialogues are spoken in English other than this, it is anticipated that it will be available in many foreign editions in subtitles or dubbed editions. Expected to be dubbed or feature subtitles in several languages for international distribution.
Crew:
| Role | Person(s) |
|---|---|
| Director | Robert Morgan |
| Producer | Alain de la Mata, Christopher Granier-Deferre |
| Music Director | Lola de la Mata |
| Story Writer | Robert Morgan, Robin King |
| Screenplay | Robert Morgan, Robin King |
| Editor | Aurora Vögeli |
Cast:
| Actor/Actress | Character Name |
|---|---|
| Aisling Franciosi | Ella Blake |
| Caoilinn Springall | Little Girl |
| Stella Gonet | Suzanne |
| James Swanton | The Ash Man |
| Therica Wilson-Read | Polly |
| Tom York | Tom |
| Jaz Hutchins | Brett |
| Joshua J Parker | Will |
| Bridgitta Roy | Doctor |
Story:
This portrays it as the life’s narrative of Ella, a stop-motion animator who becomes her mother’s replacement limbs because her mum can no longer be an animator in the final film anymore owing to arthritis. Indeed, as Ella gets a new apartment to complete the project alone after her mother has a stroke, she goes crazy. The theme of the story is also morbid as Ella turns into a raging lunatic after a new character of a young neighbour girl asks to work on her stop motion film. As the progression continues to be made of Ella in the animation, the reader starts to ask oneself, is what is being viewed as reality or imagination hell?
Review:
‘Stopmotion’ is a screamingly unapologetic psycho horror that plays out in a far more lurid key the stereotype of an artist who loses himself in his art. It may not be entirely observable as a cohesive narrative structure, but one of the biggest elements to take away from the movie is Robert Morgan’s cinematography and Aisling Franciosi’s portrayal of the slowly degenerating Ella.
Positives:
- Aisling Franciosi delivered an excellent portrayal of Ella and indeed could be said to have single-handedly carried the movie. Great stop-motion sequences which are disturbingThis is a very good cinematography that just uplifts the creepy atmosphere throughout the film. Original idea which lies on the intersection of the horror genre and stop-motion animation method.s
- Impressive stop-motion animation sequences that are genuinely unsettling
- Atmospheric cinematography that effectively captures the film’s creepy tone
- Unique premise that blends horror with the creative process of stop-motion animation
Negatives:
- Some scenes are so slow while others appear to be so quick This might look obvious knowing certain storyline patterns expected in the movies though do not fully deliver on the premise of the movie. Most characters remain stagnant throughout the script with the only growth being seen in the main character, Ella. Others feel rushed
- Predictable narrative beats that don’t fully deliver on the film’s intriguing premise
- Underdeveloped supporting characters beyond Ella
Technical Aspects:
- Main cinematographer Léo Hinstin does a fantastic job of using shadows and good lighting throughout the feature. The executed sound goes well with the theme of horror for the particular movie.
- Effective sound design that enhances the film’s creepy atmosphere
- Lola de la Mata’s musical work done for the play Stay suffers from a haunting motif.
Performance:
Aisling Franciosi is very good, professional and believable as Ella, that woman with some issues that have been portrayed. The remaining parish cast which has Stella Gonet as Ella’s Materialistic mother and Caoilinn Springall as the secretive young neighbor girl is laudable.
Moviepoptime Review:
Recently I have heard about this movie several times, and I was expecting to see some interesting results. I thought the premise of the movie looked solid and I heard that the effects are good, I found both to be quite accurate. The concept you proposed for the movie, gives it a foundation that most other horror movies hardly offer any more of being dumped out today. What happened and especially the violence were also quite good and, in general, I liked their heavy look.
But I still got the sense that it could have been so much more and I left feeling just a little disappointed after I’d finished it. I will also ignore pacing problems, a lack of build-up towards climaxing set pieces and the film’s over-erudite attitude that tries way too hard to be artsy instead of fully capitalising on its main strengths. But that is not very original and I expected more from a great and special film.
Conclusion:
Although the play does not quite live up to the promise of the title, Stopmotion is a commendable first film for Robert Morgan. FranciosI delivers a perfect performance and Morgan makes a beautiful-looking film that offers a very grim take on the cliche of the artist who disappears into their work. If expecting sheer narrative structure, some of the video essays fail; however, for a fan of psychological horror and/or stop-motion animation to which “Stopmotion” belongs, this is a must-see.
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