Memoir of a Snail

In the stop-motion animated film Memoir of a Snail, Grace (voiced by Sarah Snook) seems to fall into tragedy after tragedy in her life: being bullied at school for her appearance, losing both her parents, and later separating from her beloved twin brother to be placed in separate foster families on opposite sides of Australia. To cope with her loneliness and grief, Grace begins hoarding snails and snail-related knick-knacks, surrounding herself with material things that can satisfy her far better than the people who had left her lonely in life. Grace learns that there is more to life than hiding in her shell when she befriends Pinky (voiced by Jacki Weaver), an eccentric yet kind older woman with many colorful life stories and nuggets of wisdom to share.

A Darkly Comic World of Endless Despair. Memoir of A Snail opens with death, as a woman chokes through her long, last breath on her deathbed. It sets the grim tone for the rest of the film. Grace's story is undeniably tragic and gloomy, as the narrative goes through various vignettes of misfortune after misfortune. Even though the medium of animation is usually associated with child-friendly stories, this film is anything but that. The film is unafraid to discuss violence and sex in an almost too-frank fashion. Yet even as the film goes through off-putting topics such as religious cults and sexual fetishes, it somehow finds ways to mine absurd comedy in these unusual places. Often, audiences may find themselves caught off-guard by the film going from discussions of isolation and bullying. Many moments of abrupt and aggressively dark jokes can make one unsure whether to laugh or clutch their pearls. It's certainly jarring but effectively, confidently so. This blend of dark themes with its arguably wacky, even slapstick-style comedy makes for a distinct blend of dark humor that can easily match the thrilling shock of something from a Yorgos Lanthimos film.

A Deeply Detailed World on Screen. The stop-motion animation further bolsters the distinct dark comedy here. Adam Elliot has carved out his unique style in the details on screen – from the austere and muted colors to the wild, expressive shapes of the character design and props and even the wonky and chunky font in handwritten letters. There is so much meticulous detail on screen to create this story's off-kilter version of Australia, and the craft is nothing short of captivating. The film also has a staggering amount of various locations, including several different household rooms, an apple orchard, a cruise ship, an ocean, a schoolyard, and even a version of Luna Park – all these given a level of attention to detail that imbues these locations their memorable personality. If anything, the excellent animation immerses the viewer into this odd yet charming world — worth the price of admission alone.

A (Heavy-Handed) Light in a Dark World. Even with a life seemingly never-ending tragedy, Memoir of A Snail argues that small triumphs can still be found in life, making it worth living. The film makes this message clear from very early on through its main character narrating her views of finding silver linings and seeing glasses half-full. It's a fine sentiment to share, but to a degree, the film fumbles the delivery of its themes by being heavy-handed with them. Memoir of a Snail is filled almost wall-to-wall with its main character's voice-over narration, which must comment on even the most minor scenes. Because of this choice, this voice-over narration often reaches the point of explicitly stating the character's emotions and thoughts during a scene. It feels inelegant and redundant, as the detailed animation already does enough heavy lifting to convey all the characters' plights and feelings. The film could have lessened some of the narration or even taken it out entirely. It still reaches some lovely, heartwarming heights by its ending — though much of the narration reveals too much of its intention early on so that it feels predictable when the emotional payoffs finally do come. Despite this, a lot of humor, heart, and captivating stop-motion animation craft is on display, which makes for an undeniably enthralling experience.