As Halloween approaches, or for some of you, when Mariah Carey defrosts, it is time to break out the warm blankets and spooky movies, specifically, Coraline.
Coming of age is a popular,well-loved genre of movies, from Inside Out to The Breakfast Club. Coraline is no exception to this list of well-loved classics. Coraline, a stop-motion animated film released in 2009 by Lanki, is often regarded as one of the best animated films ever created. From edgy storytelling to pleasing yet haunting visuals, Coraline is enjoyed annually by kids and adults alike.
This year is Coraline’s 15th anniversary, meaning it’s been wiggling its way into every single Halloween party for over a decade. It’s certainly no Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and if you go into this movie expecting it to fulfill your bloodlust, you’ll be disappointed. The purpose of Coraline is not to horrify but to unease and disturb. This style of film, popularized by Tim Burton, serves a very subtle yet spooky atmosphere. Although Tim Burton had nothing to do with Coraline, it has the same read as many of his films. If you enjoyed The Corpse Bride or The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline offers a very similar experience in animation, voice acting, and plot.
Rewatching this movie I had the same experience I had when I was 10, baffled by Coraline’s parent’s ability to neglect her. The movie opens with these spindly terrifying hands creating a blue-haired doll that we later find out is our protagonist. As a child I remember fearing these hands, anticipating them reaching out to steal me in the night which I assume is a similar experience to every other small child watching this film.
We meet Coraline when she trying to convince her parents to let her out in the rain. However, the way her parents communicated with here always made me angry, it still does. Meeting childish curiosity with that amount of anger is insane to me. After a while, Coraline gains access to this small door that leads her to a parallel universe but only at night. In this other universe, we meet the owner of these disgusting hands the ‘Other Mother’. Coraline meets her Other life and it’s everything she had ever dreamed of; the food is better, her parents are nicer, and the house is more colorful. In hindsight, it is a brilliant cinematic choice having this other world be so much brighter than the real one.
We follow Coraline through her ‘real’ life and her ‘other’ life as she bounces back and forth day and night. We, the viewers, start to perceive this parallel universe as creepy. Other Mothers friendly persona quickly collapses as she gives Coraline a choice to stay in this perfect world with a price and Coraline chooses ‘wrong’.
Over all this classic is just as eerie as it was 15 years ago and the perfect all ages film for your upcoming halloween. If you don’t trust my opinion and want to check out some other reviews click here or here
