Ella Blake is a stop-motion animator who is struggling to control her demons after the loss of her overbearing mother. Suddenly alone in the world, she embarks upon the creation of a macabre new puppet film, which soon becomes the battleground for her sanity. As Ella’s mind starts to fracture, the characters in her animated film take on a terrifying life of their own, and the unleashed power of her imagination threatens to destroy her.

For in-depth thoughts on Stopmotion, please see my colleague Phil Walsh’s review from its original theatrical debut here.

Video Quality

The film debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p presentation in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio which represents this quite well. One of our favorite aspects of the movie is the scenes of stop motion animation, and you really start to appreciate the detail on display in these moments. That being said, there are also plenty of unique textures to be appreciated outside of these moments. There is a slight loss in detail when it comes to some of the panning shots in the shadows, but it is not a major issue throughout.

The movie plays with darkness to ratchet up tension, and the transfer provides deep black levels that do not experience crush. Objects hold up decently in the shadows and retain their depth with minimal banding at hand. There is no major damage or digital noise on display in this transfer. The movie has a conservative amount of saturation when it comes to stark hues with its natural palette. Some colors make an impression, but we are more enamored with the detail and clarity. The movie would look nice on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, but it works well here in HD.

Audio Quality

Stopmotion arrives on Blu-Ray with a uniquely disquieting DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in the original English. The movie provides a notable workout in vital moments, and environmental sounds provide an unsettling, immersive atmosphere for the story. The experience matches the thrills of the narrative and will be appreciated by horror fans who pick up this disc. Dialogue and sound effects remain carefully balanced with the score where nothing gets lost in the track. The track’s low end provides some impressive texture when more horrific scenes are happening. Surround channels get some unbelievable activity with the interior tones and other noises during any build-up to new nightmare fuel. Optional English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Interview with Aisling Franciosi, “Ella Blake”: A four-minute conversation with the actress in which she discusses her thoughts on the movie, the facets of her character, working with director Robert Morgan, and more.

Interview with Director Robert Morgan: A nearly ten-minute conversation with the filmmaker in which he discusses developing the idea for the film, the themes of the narrative, how he relates to the characters, the writing process, working with the performers, and more.

Behind The Scenes of Stopmotion: A nearly ten-minute look at the creation of some of the practical effects.

Final Thoughts

Stopmotion is one of the most inventive horror movies of the last year, as we get something unique that sets it apart in the genre. The movie conjures a sense of genuine dread that lingers with you and makes the discomfort last after the credits have finished rolling. The film does have some slight pacing issues that keep it from being a new classic, but there are enough terrifying developments to make this a new go-to recommendation for horror fans. RLJE Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a few decent special features. If you are a fan of the genre, you should give it a shot.. Recommended

Stopmotion is currently available to purchase on Blu-ray and DVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: RLJE Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.