2022 has been one of the best years for movies. We have had so many great movies like Top Gun: Maverick, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and, the best movie, Everything Everywhere All At Once. I remember going to see Everything Everywhere All At Once. I had wanted to go for three months, and in June I finally got to see it. As I was watching the trailers, the A24 logo came up before one of the trailers. A24 trailers are generally pretty good, so I was intrigued. The trailer that played was for Marcel The Shell With Shoes On. I was immediately hooked as soon as I saw Marcel. The trailer showed a date for June 24. I memorized that date.

   I got home and I started looking up everything Marcel related. Marcel originally appeared in a three-part web series called Marcel The Shell With Shoes On. The web series was created by Dean Fleischer-Camp and his then-wife, Jenny Slate, who also voices Marcel. The last one was uploaded on October 20, 2014, and nothing had been done with Marcel until the movie was released eight years later.

   The movie is about Marcel and his grandmother named Connie who live at a couple’s house. As the couple drifted apart, they moved out and put the house for rent on Airbnb. A couple of months later, a filmmaker named Dean Fleischer-Camp, played by Dean Fleischer-Camp, rented the home after he and his wife split up. He meets Marcel and creates a web series that revolves around him. Some of my favorite parts about the movie are the web series videos. There are a lot of callbacks to the actual web series that longtime Marcel fans will get a kick out of.

   The main plot of the movie is revealed maybe twenty minutes into the film. A long time ago, something tragic happened in Marcel’s life and he lost contact with his entire family. Ever since then, he and Connie have been trying to find them. When Dean first starts uploading the videos, Marcel is surprised by how many people are tuning in to see him and the adventures that he goes on. He uses his new fame to try and find his family. He frequently live streamed and would ask people to help him. 

   Marcel and Dean travel across the country for any leads on finding his family, going so far as to track down the couple that owns the home. Most of the movie follows Dean and Marcel trying to find any clues in search of his family. 

   I know I am being pretty vague about the plot, but that is because I want every single person that reads this to stop what they are doing and watch this glorious masterpiece. The plot of the movie seems simple, but if I were to go on, then I would be giving major spoilers. It is worth it, because this story will make you smile, cry, and laugh.

   I can’t talk about this movie without talking about how aesthetically beautiful it is. It is seriously one of the best-looking movies I have ever seen. I’ve always been a big fan of stop-motion animation, and the finished product shows just how dedicated Fleischer-Camp was to this movie. There was a lot of time and care put in making sure that the stop-motion looked nice and smooth.

   Another thing that I really enjoyed was the soundtrack. It has a very unique vibe to it. It’s upbeat, but downbeat at the same time. It’s very nice to have on in the background, and I am currently listening to it as I write this review.

   I went into the movie thinking that it was just going to be a cute, fun movie, and it was, but I was not expecting it to be one of the greatest, most emotional movies I have ever seen in my entire life.

   There’s something for everyone in this movie. Kids will love it because of Marcel’s quirky humor, and adults will love it because of the many themes and lessons about life.

   Everything Everywhere All At Once is technically the best movie of the year, but Marcel The Shell With Shoes On is my favorite.

   Marcel The Shell With Shoes On is currently available on most digital platforms, and will be receiving a Blu-Ray release later this month.