/Coraline/(2009) is an animated movie with a sinister plot. The film's main character, Coraline, finds a passage to another universe in her new home and discovers something sinister there during her explorations. Courtesy of Erin M on Creative Commons.
It is October, the month of Halloween. If you’re like me and aren’t a fan of horror movies but want a creepy movie to watch this Halloween season, Coraline might be for you.
Coraline is an animated film about a young, inquisitive girl who has just moved into an apartment with her aloof parents. When exploring her apartment, Coraline discovers a tiny door that contains an alternate universe in which her parents and her life are exactly as she wants them to be … besides the buttons they have sewn into their eyes.
Since I’m catering to an audience of scaredy-cats like myself, I’ll give you a summary of all the creepiest parts of Coraline. You can judge whether or not you’ve got the guts to watch. There are spoilers ahead, so turn back now if you don’t want to know the plot.
Right from the get-go, the apartment owner’s grandson stumbles upon a doll that looks exactly like Coraline. The doll has the same blue-black hair, yellow rain jacket and boots as Coraline does. Naturally, the boy gives the doll to the girl that looks just like her. Even though a normal person would back away slowly from such a disturbing coincidence, Coraline keeps the doll with her as she explores the house and even sleeps beside it.
The real spooky stuff starts when mice lead Coraline to the tiny door in her apartment. After crawling through to the other side, Coraline finds an apartment that looks exactly the same as hers. The woman standing in the kitchen cooking looks and sounds exactly like her mother from behind, but when she turns around, Coraline can see that she has buttons sewn onto her eyes. Instead of running for her life back to safety, Coraline entertains the woman that will be known as “the Other Mother,” learning that she can get whatever she wants on this side of the tiny door. There’s an eerie quality about this parallel universe beyond the buttons for eyes, but you’ll have to see that for yourself.
Coraline is faced with a chilling ultimatum after visiting the Other Mother a few more times: she can either stay forever in a world that seems perfect, as long as she allows buttons to be sewn in her eyes, or she can go back home.
Everything just gets creepier from there. Coraline ends up running into some other children, so be prepared for themes of child death and purgatory. An intense action sequence follows in which Coraline must face the Other Mother and determine whether or not to trust her. The rest of the movie plays with the distortion of Coraline’s world, turning familiar things creepy and dangerous.
For a Halloween where staying in would be a safer option than going out, I would suggest watching Coraline to get just the right amount of the creeps. I think this movie is better for people who scare easily than an actual horror movie. Coraline is animated, which is a cushion for easily frightened audience members because anything that happens in the movie will look less realistic than it might in live action. Think of it as a buffer for your fear.
It should be noted that animation doesn't take away from the creepy aspects of the movie. The plot is disturbing and would be in any media, and the dolls and ghosts depicted are still pretty scary looking. Even as an adult, I was frightened by many scenes in the movie. If you think you can handle it, you should definitely try watching this animated film to get in the spooky mood.