Brothers Behind Mexico’s First Stop Motion Feature ‘I Am Frankelda’ Were Told ‘We Should Quit Our Dreams’

‘I Am Frankelda’ Review: Gorgeous World-Building Can’t Support Thin Characters

On a technical level, Arturo and Roy Ambriz’s “I Am Frankelda” is a stunning work of stop-motion animation. It’s inventive, unexpected and beautifully handcrafted. A prequel to the TV series “Frankelda’s Book of Spooks,” it’s the first Mexican film made entirely using stop-motion, and it’s the kind of work you could happily watch with the sound off just to marvel at the artistry on display. However, the storytelling never matches the visuals as …

Brothers Behind Mexico’s First Stop Motion Feature ‘I Am Frankelda’ Were Told ‘We Should Quit Our Dreams’

Mexican animators Roy, Arturo Ambriz make history with stop-motion ‘I am Frankelda’ on Netflix.

Ambriz Bros. On 'I Am Frankelda' And Mexican Stop-Motion

The Cinema Fantasma founders discuss self-financing their landmark feature, building a hometown industry, and lessons from Guillermo del Toro.

‘I Am Frankelda’: A Romantic, Elegant Nightmare of Dazzling

Roy and Arturo Ambriz discuss the Plato-inspired ideas, Renaissance monsters, and spooky elegance behind their new animated musical, Mexico’s first stop-motion feature; streams June 12 on Netflix.

I Am Frankelda Review: Mexico’s First Stop-Motion Feature Speaks Truth to Power

Note: This review was originally published as part of our 2025 Fantasia coverage. The film arrives on Netflix on June 12. More than the similarly mythologized Monsters, Inc., the first stop-motion feature produced in Mexico (courtesy of the Cinema Fantasma studio) recalls an old childhood favorite from the ’80s: Little Monsters. Just like that Fred Savage vehicle, writers-directors Los Hermanos Ambriz (Arturo and Roy) have created a means to con…