ParaNorman is a 2012 stop-motion movie directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler. It centers around a young boy named Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who can communicate with the dead. After meeting with his uncle, Norman is told he must complete a ritual to keep the town safe from a witch’s spirit and her curse. Norman is unable to complete the ritual in time, which causes the town to fall into chaos at the hands of the witch, zombies, and a town mob. Norman must band together with his friends and embrace his ability to save the town.
The movie met with decent financial success, and got mostly positive reviews that praised the visuals and the storyline. 10 years later, the movie still remains visually stunning, with highly-detailed stop-motion figures. Its storyline and underlying themes also still hold up, and remain surprisingly poignant. Despite this, ParaNorman hasn’t always received the appreciation it deserves. Let’s take a look at why it deserves more love.
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A Surprising and Complex Plot
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The storyline of the movie develops in increasingly complex layers. For example, when the movie starts, Norman is a misfit in his family and at school, and things may seem like a typical family movie. This is quickly disproved when Norman reveals he is talking to his dead grandmother. Things grow further when his uncle explains that he has been continually performing a ritual to keep the town safe from the curse of a witch, which takes the movie into deeper supernatural territory. ParaNorman pulls back yet another layer when the identity and backstory of the witch comes to light in a twist that’s surprisingly deep. The witch is actually 11-year-old Aggie Prenderghast (Jodelle Ferland), who could also communicate with the dead. 300 years ago, the town convicted and executed her for witchcraft. Aggie cursed those who convicted her, and they rise as zombies when Norman can’t finish the ritual.
It’s a twist that works perfectly, and changes the perception of everything that’s happened. It makes the audience think about this villainous witch and how she got that way. It’s also more complex than what’s usually seen in a kids’ movie. Rather than a final fight, the conclusion centers around Norman using his gift to talk to Aggie, and get her the closure she needs. In a heartbreaking conversation, she says that a lot of her anger comes from being taken away from her mother. Norman helps her think of a good memory of her mother, and this enables Aggie to spiritually move on. This emotional, slightly mature conclusion is yet another surprise, one that brings depth to the story. It helps elevate ParaNorman and make it more memorable, and enjoyable, for all ages.
Different Ideas of Good and Evil
The movie also presents unconventional ideas of good and evil, particularly for a kids’ movie. Aside from his abilities, Norman himself is a typical kid. This makes him a relatable and slightly unusual hero. He also doesn’t take on a stereotypical villain in the zombies and the witch. The people on the town council made a horrible decision in executing Aggie and taking her from her mother. However, their spirits know they were wrong, and are trying to help Norman prevent further damage. Similarly, Aggie had something unspeakably horrible done to her, but she also became something horrible herself.
This challenges the normal kids’ movie format of a heroic kid taking on a (usually adult) villain. The council can be thought of as the villains, but they’ve suffered and are trying to correct their mistakes. Aggie can be seen as a villain too, but her actions, though extreme, understandably stem from having her life stolen from her when she was just a child. The line between good and evil is not clearly defined; as Comic Book Resources says, the movie doesn’t have heroes or villains, just “people who do good or evil” based on their circumstances. It acknowledges that both sides have suffered, and only did what they felt was right in their situation. It’s a sophisticated turn on a classic conflict.
Relatable for Kids and Adults
Finally, though it may be dark for younger kids, ParaNorman is relatable for all ages. Norman is a relatable protagonist for any age, and this remains even in a supernatural setting. Fell and Butler, in an interview with Den of Geek, said they liked the idea of “zombies as a metaphor,” and how zombie movies often feature strong societal themes. They adapted this idea to a kids’ movie that brings zombies to the world of a young boy struggling with his differences. Norman is an outcast in his family and in school, where he is bullied. There’s a definite parallel to his bullies and the zombies, as well as his situation and Aggie’s. However, Norman is able to have a happy ending: he saves the town by helping Aggie get closure, and is met with acceptance by everyone.
This message of acceptance is important and powerful for kids, but it can be touching for adults as well. In addition, adults can understand the different dilemmas and ideas of goodness a little more deeply than kids. As people who often have power, they can see the different sides of what happened to Aggie. They can see how fear often turns into an abuse of power, especially towards someone who is an outcast. It’s especially great for adult horror fans, who will enjoy the monsters and all the classic horror themes in it, but non-horror fans will also enjoy it. It’s a thought-provoking movie that still brings plenty of fun scares and spooky visuals for all ages.
