Stitch Head

The film begins with a deafening roar as a steam locomotive arrives in the middle of a peaceful village with picturesque houses. What a commotion! The inhabitants lean out of their windows, somewhat frightened, while others pluck up their courage and leave their homes to find out what this incongruous noise means. Nothing to worry about, it's a traveling circus. A mustachioed gentleman appears, a sort of ringmaster, who comes to offer his show and his gallery of monsters.

Then the camera turns away from this amusing scene to take us to a sinister castle, terrifying as can be, like Dracula's lair. In this dwelling, a mad scientist, obsessed with his creation of monsters, continues to work despite the wishes of P'tit Cousu, his first creation. We then meet a whole group of monsters, smiling and kind despite their repulsive appearance. They are happy, living safely in the castle under the benevolence and protection of P'tit Cousu.  Their only fear is that a savage horde of villagers will suddenly come and harm them. The villagers, for their part, are not very reassured by what is happening at the castle and imagine the worst, encountering the monsters. The arrival of the circus will turn everyone's lives upside down.

The script is well crafted, and the story that unfolds before our eyes is exciting and suspenseful. For example, when P'tit Cousu, lulled by the circus owner's sweet talk, hesitates to leave his companions at the castle to join the circus and start a new life. It is a journey of initiation that could propel him towards the opportunity to change his life, but could also plunge him into the depths of sadness and disappointment.

There is also an intense moment of emotion when the director shows us the monsters in the castle dormitory, ready to go to bed and reading a book to fall asleep like children. There is a shark, an octopus, a cyclops, an animal topped with an aquarium, and many others, each more amusing than the last. They are touching, and love, respect, and carefreeness reign among them despite their differences, aware of their weakness and their fear of the villagers. We would so much like to help them and give them more courage.

There's no downtime, adventure awaits with the inhabitants who are passionate about this circus, and they are even ready to kidnap and hand over the monsters to the circus manager Fulbert Montremonstre, for the sole pleasure of seeing a new thrilling attraction. What do they care if they cause pain and harm to the castle's tenants!

The music is dynamic, like the scene with Strauss's Blue Danube waltz. The overall visuals are well done, with realistic graphics for the sets, the castle, the circus with its audience under the big top, and the village, immersing the viewer in a mysterious, surprising atmosphere full of adventure and charm.

This touching monster factory delicately and accurately depicts a world where monsters are not always what they seem. P'tit Cousu is particularly likeable with his patched-up face and striped costume; he is the strong link in this tale. This animated adventure film, with a reasonable running time of 1 hour 30 minutes, is aimed at young and old alike and takes us on an exciting journey, combining suspense, fear, laughter and emotion that often leaves you with a lump in your throat. It's truly entertaining and a wonderful cinematic discovery in the making.

Stitch Head
Written and directed by Steve Hudson
Based on Stitch Head by Guy Bass
Produced by Sonja Ewers, Mark Mertens
Starring Asa Butterfield, Joel Fry, Rob Brydon, Tia Bannon
Edited by Dieter Riepenhausen
Music by Nick Urata
Production companies: Aniventure, Gringo Films, Traumhaus Studios, The Picture Factory, Fabrique d'Images, Assemblage Entertainment
Distributed by Briarcliff Entertainment (United States), Wild Bunch Distribution (France)
Release dates: June 10, 2025 (Annecy), October 29, 2025 (United States), December 17, 2025 (France)
Running time: 89 minutes

Seen on October 8, 2025 at Club 13

Cookie's Mark: