SPOILER-FREE PLOT SUMMARY
A mad scientist with a serious case of ADHD continues to frankenstein different monsters out of random specimens around his lab. His first creation, Stitch Head (voiced by Asa Butterfield), has taken it upon himself to take care of the monsters from the moment they become “half alive.” He teaches them how to stay safe, educates them on how humans can form angry mobs to burn down castles and, just overall, takes care of them. After slowly realizing that he’s craving appreciation and love, Stitch Head joins a struggling travel circus of oddities and freaks who shower him with compliments, which he’s never received before. In an effort to keep his “bestest best friend ever” at the castle, Creature (Joel Fry) pulls out all the stops to track Stitch Head down and plead with him to come home.
SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
From THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD AND MISTER TOAD to HOCUS POCUS to THE ADDAMS FAMILY to THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, every generation has their family-friendly Halloween movie they consider a classic.
Well, STITCH HEAD is this generation’s Halloween classic.
This film is a potion with ingredients that include A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, PARANORMAN, ARTHUR CHRISTMAS and even a pinch of MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL. It’s beautifully animated, cleverly written (but not so clever kids can’t keep up), features a compelling storyline, sympathetic characters and a ton of heart.
There will be kids, of varying ages, who will call this their favorite Halloween movie for years to come. Some people don’t care for the horror genre but still love the spooky time of year. So it’s really a shame that STITCH HEAD comes out during Halloween week as opposed to earlier in October to provide a little more runway into the season.
For the parents, rest assured that this is not a movie you’ll grow tired of when your kid wants to watch it on loop once it hits streaming. It’s a pleasant watch with a great message. They’ll love it and you won’t mind it, the perfect combination.
I included it in my Top 6 Movies I’m Excited to Watch During the Nashville Film Festival list and it didn’t disappoint. Matter of fact, it exceeded. Grab the kids (or grandkids) and go see STITCH HEAD while it’s in theaters. You won’t regret it.
JKG SCORE: 7.5
Untitled Film Project 