A24's 'Marcel The Shell With Shoes On' Is The Universally Appealing Children's Film of The Year

A24, the film distribution company behind Moonlight and Lady Bird, already had a major hit this year with Everything Everywhere All At Once, the excellent sci-fi action-comedy multiverse adventure starring Michelle Yeoh. While that film easily reached the top echelon of A24's filmography, their most recent release tops that film in universality and Rotten Tomatoes score. Marcel The Shell With Shoes On, based on the YouTube short film, is a must-see child-friendly feature on-par with the adult appeal of Pixar and Studio Ghibli films.

Director Dean Fleischer Camp stars as a documentarian who meets an adorable one-inch-tall shell and decides to film his everyday life with his grandma and put it on the internet. Needless to say, Marcel and Dean get a reception that neither expected.

  • Jenny Slate - Marcel

  • Isabella Rossellini - Nana Connie

  • Dean Fleisher Camp - Himself

  • Rose Salazar & Thomas Mann - The Humans

Marcel's 99% on Rotten Tomatoes pretty much speaks for itself. Save for one person who found the film not consistently funny enough (and he is wrong about that), every other reviewer found this film worth loving, as poignant and moving as any children's movie could be. It's near-perfect in every respect, and even those who don't find Marcel as charmingly appealing as most audiences will be impressed by the film's incredible blend of animation and reality. A rousing success all around, no one should miss this film.

Rating: 9/10

★★★★★★★★★☆

Right now, Marcel The Shell With Shoes On is only available in theaters, but since it's an indie film, it will probably quickly get onto VOD to recoup any potential box office stragglers. Look out for the film in theaters and shortly on video very soon!