Spellbound Review

Spellbound is a 2021 animated short film written and directed by Amelia Parker.

A delightfully animated short film about finding your place in a new environment, Spellbound delivers plenty of whimsy set against the holiday of Halloween.

Despite such a small team of artists, the animation featured in this short is great, featuring expressive characters and plenty of details. The world feels full of life and the spirit of Halloween through the eyes of an adolescent girl is captured with care.

One of the biggest standouts beyond just the animation has to be the score from Tom Ryan, who brings plenty of charm to the fluid animation on screen. It helps deliver the emotional beats to an otherwise silent animated short and brings just the right number of spooky touches when needed.

The story may be a simple one of a girl trying to find her place in a new neighborhood, but it is one that many of us can relate to. That scary feeling of possible rejection and that these new folks won’t want you around.

The inclusion of the pumpkin friend is adorable and provides the fun sidekick character that helps to keep the tone light. There is a lot of smart storytelling that many of all ages will easily be able to enjoy.

For those who love Halloween of course there are plenty of character and holiday references sprinkled throughout. If you wish the holiday could happen every day, this is certainly one for you.

Overall Spellbound brings a lot of heart and charm into its world as well as storytelling. This is clearly the work of a very talented team of artists and animators. Each frame has a ton of care put in and it is a great addition to Halloween watching but can still be enjoyed any time of year as well.

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Cheers!

Daniel Hess

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