^{Credit: I Am Frankelda/Soy Frankelda (Cinema Fantasma)}

What if you threw Tim Burton, Jim Henson, Laika, and Guillermo del Toro into a blender? You’d get I Am Frankelda, the debut feature from brothers Arturo and Roy Ambriz. Not only is this their first film, but I Am Frankelda is the first stop-motion animated feature from Mexico. On a visual level, the film is anything but amateurish. This Gothic horror romance stitches such meticulous wonder into every frame that you’d swear it came from masters who spent decades perfecting their craft. To be fair, the Ambriz brothers have had some practice.

The film is a prequel and sort of sequel to the series Frankelda's Book of Spooks, which you should stream on HBO Max if you haven’t already. The titular character served as a hostess with each episode focusing on an outcast child who’s taught a lesson (the hard way). While mostly an anthology series, the final episode touched upon the backstory of Frankelda, who was originally a human named Francisca. This feature elaborates on her origins, finding Francisca shunned for writing horror stories. Francisca has at least one fan in Prince Herneval, the sexiest birdman you’ll ever lay eyes on. Like del Toro, the Ambriz brothers have a clear affection for monsters.

Herneval comes from a world grounded in fiction, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t real. It’s a realm that thrives on the scary stories that give children nightmares. To keep his kingdom alive, Herneval seeks out Francisca as a literal ghostwriter of sorts. Taking his hand, she transforms into the ghostly Frankelda, who looks like a cross between the Bride of Frankenstein and the Corpse Bride with the Wicked Witch of the East's leggings. Sparks and scares are in the air, but a giant spider-like creature named Procustes stands in the way of our lovers.

The comparison to Guillermo del Toro isn’t a coincidence, as he served as a mentor to the Ambriz brothers. At the same time, their studio, Cinema Fantasma, has a look that’s all its own. Every puppet is constructed with such hair-raising detail, with movements that are simultaneously eerie and elegant. They’ve created a dazzling world on par with Halloween Town from The Nightmare Before Christmas or the Land of the Remembered from The Book of Life. For such a grim setting, the colors pop out with an almost 3D effect. If only the Academy’s Production Design Branch would take stop-motion seriously, the miniature sets would be in the Oscar conversation.

Ironically, in a film about storytelling, the weakest aspect is the script. While I Am Frankelda has a clever setup and engaging leads, the story can get bogged down by exposition-heavy dialogue. As cool as the designs are, the film has more supporting players than it knows what to do with. At times, even Frankelda herself can get overshadowed. I Am Frankelda is at its best when the filmmakers let the astounding visuals do the talking… or let the characters express themselves through music. While there are only a handful of songs, they all carry an operatic sentiment. Even if you don’t speak Spanish, you could turn off the subtitles and still get chills.

The ending, while managing to answer a few questions from the TV series, doesn’t wrap up Frankelda’s story in a tidy package. That said, it appears that Cinema Fantasma isn’t done telling Frankelda’s story. Here’s hoping that we not only see Frankelda in more projects, but that the Ambriz brothers are just getting warmed up. They reportedly already have another feature entitled Ballad of the Phoenix in the works. For now, they’ve made a truly stunning debut that, despite an overstuffed script, is more importantly packed to the brim with imagination.

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1 and 2. Available Now!