‘Memoir of a Snail’ Review: A Snail’s Trail Through Time

15 years after his last feature film, Mary & Max, Oscar-winning Australian stop-motion legend, Adam Elliot, has returned with London Film Festival Top Prize winner, Memoir of a Snail—a beautifully animated, heartbreaking, and uplifting tale of a woman’s life. This Memoir of a Snail review was made possible thanks to a screening at the 60th Chicago International Film Festival.

As our protagonist Grace Pudel narrates her childhood, she says her dad told her, “Childhood is like being drunk, everyone remembers what you did, except you.” While I disagree with that sentiment since I have the memory of an elephant, just about everything else said in this movie impacted me deeply to the point where I was almost moved to tears numerous times. Elliot’s film is an incredibly honest depiction of life and the grieving process, sometimes death can be funny, and sometimes it can be utterly debilitating, and that’s what this film does so well, balancing its comedy and drama wonderfully to the point where you’re never overwhelmed by the other or feel like they step on each other’s toes. 

Memoir of a Snail follows the life of Grace Pudel (Sarah Snook), a woman who has been obsessed with snails ever since her mom, who died during childbirth, left a snail music box for her. She lives in Australia with her twin brother, Gilbert (Kodi Smit-McPhee), and paraplegic ex-juggler father, Percy (Dominique Pinon). After their father dies in his sleep, the two are separated and placed in different foster homes. The film follows Grace recounting her life and experience with grief up until the present day.

Having only seen Elliot’s Oscar-winning 2003 animated short film, Harvie Krumpet (who makes a cameo in this film), I was aware of Elliot’s dark and crude yet endearing sense of humor. His stop-motion work has always been impressive and it’s no exception here, as everything seen in the film is beautifully handmade and expressive, packed with so much detail to the point where it will take multiple watches to see everything hidden in the background and I absolutely adore that. 

Among the wonderfully crafted world and gorgeous animation, the film features a variety of charming characters. Grace meets an elderly woman named with an eclectic past, named Pinky (Jacki Weaver). Pinky alleviates the story’s more emotional moments with her offbeat personality making for some genuinely hilarious and touching moments. Another unique character Grace encounters is James the Magistrate (Eric Bana), a homeless man who was a former Judge, while his appearances are brief, they leave a massive impact as the scenes are some of the most heartwarming in the film.

Elliot’s Memoir of a Snail is a wonderful film and a masterclass in balancing drama and comedy simultaneously. With its gorgeous handmade visuals and crude humor, the film can charm audiences immediately while also having plenty of somber moments that will rip your heart out, and set it on fire, then put out the flames and repair your soul. For an animated film, it feels more honest than most live-action dramas I’ve seen recently, I was won over by the opening frame of this film and I can confidently say it is the best animated movie I have seen this year so far as it is mature and universally accessible in its depiction of grief. 

Memoir of a Snail premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 10th, 2024. IFC Films will be releasing it in NYC/LA on October 25th, 2024 before beginning its expansion on November 1st, 2024. Memoir of a Snail was written and directed by Adam Elliot, starring Sarah Snook, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jacki Weaver, Eric Bana, Magda Szubanski, and Dominique Pinon.

If you liked this Memoir of a Snail review check out more of our reviews here at Feature First!