There’s a simple truth in life: I don’t like animated movies and TV shows made for adults. No matter how good the animation, compelling the story, or well executed the final product, animated adult-themes stories start at a disadvantage and rarely win me over. Memoir of a Snail is no exception, despite its obvious positives.
It’s not fair, but it’s reality: very few serious animated movies have a chance to blow me away. But the great thing about being a film critic is you don’t have to be objective, because it’s impossible to be objective.
But it is a shame, because you can feel the love put to screen by writer/director Adam Elliot. Inspired by those in his life, Memoir of a Snail is a beautiful stop-motion piece of work, with imaginatively crafted characters who have full, realized personalities and real character depth.
The movie is about a woman named Grace Pudel (voiced by Sarah Snook of “Succession” fame), whose depression and childhood trauma has caused her to become a hoarder of snails and other random things–and an awkward loner whose life is never easy. She and her loving, protective brother are separated at a young age, sent to two different foster homes, and life just gets shittier from there.
It’s a compelling story, and Elliot, who won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short back in 2004, brings it to life with vibrancy and expert craftsmanship. The story gets darker as it goes along–I considered turning the movie off halfway through for reasons previously stated, but then Elliot slaps you over the head with a couple different shocking moments that urged me on.
The point is: Memoir of a Snail is a very good movie. It’s just one I am very challenged to like.
I began this review by saying there’s a simple truth in life, but really, there are three: I don’t like serious animated movies. Memoir of a Snail didn’t change my opinion on that matter. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be great.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.