Stop-motion animator Henry Selick (THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS/’93; JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH/’96), never a ‘less-is-more’ adherent, has rarely been as unnecessarily over-active as in this collaboration with Jordan Peele. Off the big screen since CORALINE/’09 (technically still off since this is NetFlix), his visual stockpile may have gotten the better of him. Or perhaps turning 70 led him to put it all up when he had the chance. Not a bad thing, if story & characters profit by it. But this traumatically dark tale of an orphan girl, blaming herself for her parents’ death (she's not half wrong), distresses when it wants to bring catharsis. Sent to a Catholic Academy with other tossed-aside kids, ‘Kat’ sells her soul to a couple of wiseguy demons (Peele & Keegan–Michael Key) addicted to their master’s haircream, a product that also revives the dead. At least, for a spell; long enough till our remarkably unlikable protagonist learns to accept . . . (Now, you're ahead of me.) On the plus side, James Hong, pushing 90, does a super job as Father Bests, also back from the dead; and a Hispanic sidekick named Raul (shouldn’t it be Raoul?), voiced by debuting Sam Selaya is great, the best developed character in here. But too much feels either calculated (a push for racial diversity) or rushed (NetFlix holding to a Hallowe’en release deadline?). The film is often fun to watch (worth it for technique & design alone), but a disappointment for Selick with only five features in 30 years.
DOUBLE-BILL: In addition to the three well-known titles mentioned above, Selick’s live-action mix MONKEYBONE/’01 always goes missing. Worth a look? Write in and let us know.
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