Imagine a Rankin/Bass stop-motion Christmas special about the Necronomicon. That’s the essence of I Am Frankelda (2026). The Netflix film features the same herky-jerky animation, stark color palette, and musical storytelling — except it’s a macabre story about how your nightmares sustain the world of monsters. I Am Frankelda is a dark and enchanting ode to storytelling that gets a little messy. But it leads you into unfamiliar places and takes chances that you appreciate.
I Am Frankelda oozes hand-crafted creativity. Everything is made by hand — the expressive characters, stitched wardrobe, the ornamental sets, and textured backgrounds. It is the anti-enshitification of filmmaking you’ve been waiting for. Unlike Laika animation or The Nightmare Before Christmas, each frame is full of gorgeous, bright colors that pop against its dark tone. That contrast takes shape alongside the story as it explores the balance of light and dark in our world and in ourselves.
The main storyline is a little confusing at first. Let me help you out. The realm of terrors is sustained by a master storyteller who creates nightmares, but those nightmares are losing potency because kids are changing. A girl, whose gift for writing is unappreciated in the realm of humans, summons a connection to the realm of terrors when she writes about one of its denizens.
I appreciate the attempt to make this a musical, but it doesn’t quite work for me. These songs are less Jack Skellington singing “What’s This?” and more Peabo Bryson singing “A Whole New World.” They’re a bit too 1908s Broadway. The long-winded songs push the film to nearly two hours.
Another hard-to-swallow part of the film is the big moment that propels the plot forward. It relies on an old, much-hated trope: the misunderstanding. For a film that treasures writing, I’m not sure why the entire plot hinges on a plot point you’d commonly see in Charles in Charge.
But don’t let that scare you off. I Am Frankelda is earnest in its passion for horror, fantasy, and original storytelling. While it will remind you of several film and television classics, the whole experience exudes originality. If you’re bored with the same old story and same old animation, give Mexico’s first feature-length stop-motion film a try. It’s about hope in a suppressive world — and it gives you hope that studios still want to bet on art over easy money.
Where to watch
Rating: PG (Me: 6+)
Director: Arturo Ambriz & Roy Ambriz
Starring: Mireya Mendoza, Arturo Mercado Jr., Luis Leonardo Suárez
Run time: 1hr 53m
Post-credits scenes: None
Sequel? Unlikely to know until we see the viewing numbers from Netflix.
If you liked I Am Frankelda, check out these films and shows:
- Frankelda’s Book of Spooks (2021 series) (5+)
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) (5+)
- Corpse Bride (2005) (6+)
- Mad Monster Party? (1967) (5+)
- James and the Giant Peach (1996) (5+)
- Coraline (2009) (6+)
- The Book of Life (2014) (5+)
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