Developed over eight years, Memoir of a Snail is the latest film from Award-winning Stop Motion Filmmaker Adam Elliot (Harvie Krumpet 2004, Mary and Max 2009). Directed, written, and produced by Elliot, Memoir of a Snail is his latest stop-motion tragicomedy. Opening for a limited release on Friday, October 25, 2024, through IFC Films, Memoir of a Snail follows Grace, voiced by Sarah Snook (Predestination 2014, Pieces of a Woman 2020), who is narrating the story of her life to her pet snail Sylvia.
Grace’s story is not the happiest. Her mother died during the birth of her and her twin brother Gilbert (Kodi Smit-McPhee: Deadpool 2 2018, Elvis 2022), and after being hit by a drunk driver, her father (Dominique Pinon: Alien Resurrection 1997, Amelie 2001) became a paraplegic. Unfortunately, her father does not live long after his accident and as a result, she and twin brother Gilbert are taken into care.
Grace is taken to live with a couple who are nice enough but are often out swinging and leave her to her own devices. Meanwhile, poor Gilbert is taken to the other side of the country to live with a family of religious fundamentalists who believe that he has the devil within him. The only comfort they have is the letters that they send back and forth, vowing that they will reunite one day.
Overall, Memoir of a Snail is a wonderful film in every sense. Firstly the animation is incredibly good. Not only that, but Elliot has brought to life a whole world that is so well realized. There are so many little details within each frame, whether it is the title of a book or a reference to something. Memoir of a Snail takes place in a world of bleak colors and yet it is still a joy to look at.
Thematically, Memoir of a Snail is also very rich. A film about so many things, it is about identity and family and loss and grief. It is about the people that we love and the people that affect our lives – whether for the better or worse. It is about life itself. The characters here are also strong. Grace has a special love for snails and wears a snail hat, even as an adult. In another scenario that might make some audiences feel that Grace is hard to relate to, but here that is not the case. Grace is so relatable and so easy to root for. Every character here is so well-written and three-dimensional.
Memoir of a Snail is the type of film that stays with an audience. It is a film that you watch fully engaged and then afterward it sits with you quietly. Arguably one of the best animations of 2024 thus far, Cryptic Rock gives Memoir of a Snail 5 out of 5 stars.
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