An incredible animated movie that’s guaranteed to bring the tears over the holidays is now available at no extra cost to Netflix subscribers.
Described by some fans as a “miracle” and a “glorious” achievement, this unassuming yet poignant film has already won the hearts of thousands of moviegoers.
It now has the chance to reach an even bigger audience as the world’s largest streaming platform just added the film over the weekend.
While it’s not exactly Christmas-themed, it could be the perfect alternative to throw on once you’ve exhausted the festive classics on Disney+ and binged all the Christmas specials available on BBC iPlayer – just make sure you have some tissues at the ready.
The movie in question is called Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, a touching tale of a tiny, resourceful shell who takes care of his Nana Connie (played by Isabella Rossellini).
Using a blend of live-action and stop-motion animation, this quirky mockumentary quickly becomes much more than it seems to be on paper when Marcel (Jenny Slate) is confronted with some hard-hitting truths about life.
After receiving critical acclaim upon its release in 2021, the film has developed a cult following who all agree on one thing – it’s impossible not to be in floods of tears by the final scene.
MovieWeb said the film is “sure to make you cry” in their write-up, going on to describe it as “painfully honest” and “tragic”, with one scene that is “sure to make even the most hardened moviegoer burst into tears”.
A user on the social media platform Letterboxd described it as “a miracle movie”.
“It’s an unbearably poignant work,” they continued. “As devastating as it is deeply funny and engaging. At a certain point, I was crying so much that the screen started to blur. It left me vulnerable and battered and healed.”
Someone else wrote: “I laughed, I cried, I loved every god damn second of this glorious film. It is happiness incarnate.
“The simple life of this stupid little shell and his journey to find his family brings an overwhelming amount of comfort and catharsis.”
Another reviewer said: “Maybe it’s 10 days straight watching Festival films, maybe it’s the months of being disconnected from people I love or maybe it’s just that I needed something that gave me the necessary catharsis to have a good cry.
“Whatever it is, Marcel the Shell has made his way into my heart and left me a happily sobbing mess. Also Isabella Rossellini.”
Over on Reddit, a final fan admitted they “Cried so hard watching Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”
“As someone who’s struggling to cry for years (the last time I’ve cried my heart out when my dad passed away 7 years ago), I didn’t expect that I’d cry so much with this film.
“That specific scene really made me sob like a child. You should definitely watch it. It’s one of the most beautiful films this year.”
Will you be letting Marcel the Shell into your heart this Christmas?
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On is available to stream on Netflix.