“My Grandfather’s Demons” “Os demónios do meu avô”

My Grandfather’s Demons (aka Puppet Department) is a 2022 animated feature film directed by Nuno Beato. The film, distributed by Cinéma Public Films, premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival 2022 on July 26th.

A film that delivers wonderful animation, but can’t quite hit the same highs in terms of story. My Grandfather’s Demons is easy to recommend for fans of the medium, but not so much for anyone outside that world.

Often, I try not to pick too much on the character designs of an animated film as I believe myself to be pretty open-minded to all styles. However, one of the first things I and perhaps many viewers will notice is that the designs all feel pretty run-of-the-mill. It isn’t that the animation quality is bad by any means, but the people occupying the film just have a lack of distinction about them. The highlight, though, would be the titular demons presented in the film. Their designs are interesting and inspired, however, we see far too little of them throughout.

Cartoon Movies With Heart, My Grandfather’s Demons

The decision to combine both 3D and stop-motion animation in one feature was an inspiring one in “My Grandfather’s Demons”. It made for a wonderful showcase for all the artists involved. This raises the point though that crossing between both mediums could and probably should have been explored more. This would have made for easy exploration of the duality that Rosa is fighting between the big city and the countryside which is central to her character.

The biggest issue for most audience members outside of animation will fall within the story of My Grandfather’s Demons. While the key points all make sense and there is a clear arc, nothing about it feels particularly earned. Rosa doesn’t feel like she is actively deciding. Things are just sort of happening around her that keep her at her grandfather’s countryside home. Too many moments are just coincidences; in most cases, she has already decided to leave.

Because of this, the emotional stakes never feel very high and there doesn’t feel like there is any direct drama with it all. It becomes more of a series of Rosa deciding to leave and then something happening at that very moment that pulls her back in.

The experience you will get from this film depends on what you are walking in to view. If you’re looking for an animation showcase for a country that is much too underrepresented in the medium, like Portugal, you will have a good time. If you are, however, sitting down to watch something based solely on the merits of an animated feature film, with the bar set so high it’s hard to say if you will enjoy it fully.

My Grandfather’s Demons movie gets three stars out of five

Puppet Department “Os demónios do meu avô”

Director: Nuno Beato

The cast of My Grandfather’s Demons: Nuno Lopes, Victoria Guerra, and Celso Bugallo.

My Grandfather’s Demon’s premiere was at Fantasia International Film Festival 2022. Distribution is by Cinéma Public Films.