Coraline
2009 · Directed by Henry Selick
Original language: English
- animation
- family
- fantasy
- horror
The story
Wandering her rambling old house in her boring new town, 11-year-old Coraline discovers a hidden door to a strangely idealized version of her life. In order to stay in the fantasy, she must make a frighteningly real sacrifice.
What it’s like
Stop-motion with a handmade, tactile finish: puppet faces with seams and slight imperfections, a palette of dusty greens, mustard yellows and sickly teals, and a fog-thick, faintly damp atmosphere in the old house. The other world glows in saturated, over-polished colour, all candy pinks and cheerful blues, while the real rooms stay muted and shadowy. Camera moves are deliberate and often slightly uncanny, with symmetrical framing and long, slow pushes down corridors, and the score is restless and whimsical, shot through with tinkling music-box touches and sudden silences. The vibe is eerie and wistful, a fairy tale that stays unsettled rather than cosy, best suited to a dark autumn evening or a Halloween watch. Pacing is measured, with quiet stretches of loneliness giving way to escalating unease. Scares are creepy and atmospheric, with some intense, nightmarish imagery and a few tense chase-like moments, but no gore and little overt violence. Its central arc follows a restless, lonely girl learning to value what is real and close to her. Suited to older children, teens and adults who enjoy gothic whimsy and handcrafted animation with a genuine chill.
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