Spooky Special - ParaNorman (2012)

 

Streaming on Netflix. 

For rent on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, and YouTube. 

    If there is a straightforward truth regarding Halloween cinema that I will repeat until the grave, it'll likely be this: ParaNorman is the most fantastic Halloween film ever made! I do not make that statement lightly. Of all the films to enjoy at the spookiest time of the year, none are as relevant, heartfelt, or as impactful as this glorious story from the modern masters of stop-motion animation, LAIKA. In an age when most western animations delude themselves into believing that animated films are strictly for children, ParaNorman takes that very antiquated notion and shatters it to dust. Moreover, it's also a beautifully told story with beautiful characters, clever subversion of expectations, and a twist that will leave you in tears of both sorrow and joy. 

    The story follows a young boy named Norman who is ostracized by his community. Why? Well, apparently, he can see and communicate with ghosts. In a remarkable change of pace, Norman has made peace with his gift and embraces it, despite everyone else around him refusing to even consider his ability as genuine. However, his gift will soon prove helpful to the town when a sudden Zombie invasion strikes their town.

    Further complicating the mysterious event is the timing, as it happens to be the anniversary of a famous historical slaying of a supposedly evil Witch that may or may not have cursed the town. Now, Norman must face the frustrating adversity and use his gift to solve the mystery and save his home. And, in doing so, will uncover a secret that will shock anyone with a heart. 

    The first and most obvious aspect of ParaNorman worth admiring is its stop-motion style of animation. For those who don't know, stop-motion is a technique of animation often used with clay and other such malleable materials, including action figures & dolls. It's an arduous task of taking a still photograph of an object, moving part of it ever so slightly for the next frame, and repeating the whole task until an entire sequence of motion is achieved. 

    To give you a rough idea, take a look at this short video of the team at LAIKA making Kubo and the Two Strings. A fantastic film in its own right made even more astonishing when seeing how it was made. The amount of labor and precision required to create a single second of animation in this style demands a discipline unlike any other. Appropriately, it requires a kind of Zen approach. 

    Another treat this film delivers amazingly well is subverting expectations, especially with the choices in casting. In addition to giving stellar performances, many of the more well-known actors in the film (Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Casey Affleck, to name a few) are playing roles outside of the typical & expected type they usually play. For example, actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse (who typically plays geeky or nerdy characters) is cast as Norman's school bully. Casey Affleck, who's often cast as a quiet and reserved loner, plays a football-obsessed meathead with a pleasantly surprising twist, which I will not spoil here. It's almost a clever and subtle hint to how the film as a whole intends to play with your expectations, and it does so with flying colors. 

    Of the various elements that cause me to love ParaNorman the most out of LAIKA's filmography thus far, none are as prominent or as robust as its narrative and its heart-wrenching plot twist. Despite the film being nearly ten years old, I don't want to be responsible for spoiling the film. However, I cannot adequately articulate the beauty and bravery of this film without explaining the twist and why it's so important. 

    So, if you want to avoid SPOILERS, avoid any and all paragraphs written in Red.

    SPOILERS! 

    The twist is the Zombies are the undead town-founders who tried and executed the Witch back in the 1600s or so. The "Witch," as it turns out, was a ten-year-old little girl named Aggie who possessed unusual abilities. Out of fear for their safety and believing they were in the right, they accused Aggie of witchcraft and had her hanged. Her vengeful spirit was kept at bay by those who could speak to the dead, and the task was passed down to Norman, who accidentally performed the task incorrectly, causing Aggie's spirit to rise from the grave and seek her vengeance on her wrong-doers. 

    This twist rocked me to my very core because of how relevant and severe it was. Not only did ParaNorman, a film primarily aimed at children, have the courage to tell a story about death (a topic wrongfully avoided by most child-oriented media), but it also delved deeply into aspects of unfortunate historical fact. Many people, including children, have been falsely accused of "witchcraft" by religious authorities and continue to suffer such inhumanity to this day. 

    When I saw this twist, I realized this film means business, and I appreciated their efforts and conviction.

    ParaNorman is an absolute treasure of a film and a must-watch for any Halloween event. Come for the spookiness; stay for the story. It'll have a profound impact on you one way or another. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.