Running Time: 94 Minutes
Certification: 18
Starring: Aisling Franciosi. Stella Gonet, Tom York, Therica Wilson-Read, Caoilinn Springall, James Swanton
After a career directing short films, Robert Morgan makes his directorial feature debut with Stopmotion, a brilliant blend of live action and, as the title suggests, stop-motion animation. The story follows Ella Blake (Aisling Franciosi), a stop-motion animator who is introduced working on a film directed by her overbearing mother (Stella Gonet). When her mother's health worsens, Ella puts her focus into creating her own feature film, although the process takes troubling turns as Ella's mind fractures.
From the opening moments, Ella feels like somebody living a life unfulfilled. As her mother's arthritis grows worse, the daughter feels obligated to help wherever possible, even in response to an unwelcoming tone. This offers a fascinating look at the difficult idea of a stop-motion animator losing the use of their main tool; their hands. Yet this leaves Ella feeling like the puppets she painstakingly moves; unable to make their own decisions as they only exist to realize others' visions.
While she is supported by a well-meaning boyfriend, it does little to calm Ella's worries. She finally gets a much needed push upon meeting a young girl (Caoilinn Springall), who finds the mother's film boring and encourages Ella to make a different story about a child lost in the woods. Key to it all is a powerhouse portrayal by Aisling Franciosi, capturing the creative desperate to find her voice after it has been long stifled. As her worries are compounded by a loosening grip on reality, the simmering anger of this previously submissive author threatens to boil over in troublesome ways.
Considering the film's title, there would be no excuse if this film stumbled with the stop-motion animated scenes. Thankfully, these segments are exceptionally realized in ways that reflect the phenomenal craft while also serving the story well. Particularly where the creepy Ash Man is concerned, these moments allow viewers into Ella's headspace in skin-crawlingly creepy ways. There are also exceptional uses of practical effects, as the combination of grisly visuals and wince-worthy sound effects make for a nightmarish experience.
While it may have a short runtime, the film's pacing can initially feel prolonged and struggle to grab one's attention. Once this hurdle has been overcome, things grow more interesting as this work resembles Prano Bailey-Bond's Censor with a stop-motion twist. Stopmotion is a chilling look at the difficult relationship between a creative and their work, and promises a bright future in features for Robert Morgan.
Stopmotion is now available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and Digital Download
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