There were several enticing trailers on the DVD Late Night with the Devil that I’d purchased, but the one that looked the most fresh and original was called Stopmotion—about a struggling stop motion filmmaker who suddenly is confronted with her creations coming to life.

I’m going to be spoiler-free, here; this movie is excellent, and for those who enjoy what we publish in 34 Orchard, this is most likely for you.

This is a quiet little film, but where it excels is in its creepy imagery; certainly, anyone who loves stop motion animation—and is especially enamored with its inherent creepiness—should not miss this. One of this film’s highlights is the stop motion aspect, and it grounds us solidly in the mechanics of that deftly before throwing a huge wrench in it. The atmosphere is haunting and claustrophobic, but effectively sparing. The acting is fantastic.

Story-wise, all of the elements are sound. Although I found it rather obvious what was happening, I appreciated that, as this was the kind of subject matter in psychological horror that can get super-murky if not in the hands of an expert. The fact that it was stunningly clear left room for the viewer’s focus on savoring the atmosphere, gorgeous special effects, and serious, under-the-skin creep factor.

There is some body horror, but it’s story-necessary, fresh, classy, and effectively delivers a toe-curling gut punch. I don’t like gross unless it’s done right and it’s for just the appropriate amount of screentime. I’d consider Stopmotion’s body horror to be a gold standard for the way it should be executed.

This film is similar in mood and intensity to Black Swan, so if that movie floated your boat, then this one will, as well. It’s available on SHUDDER, but if you don’t have that, it is available to rent from Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Roku, Sling, and a few others, so just Google Stopmotion movie to see if your fave streaming service is carrying it.