Mad God (2021) 

 

A being called The Assassin explores a world of madness, odd denizens, and odder activities. 

Written and directed by Phil Tippet who also did a whole lot of everything else on this film, Mad God is a clear labor of love and one that took ages to get made. It’s one of those films that is just so well made, so carefully planned, that it could only happen out of love for its genre, sub-genre, and technique. As you see, this film is mostly stop-motion animation and it’s done so well, it’s difficult to not be in awe of the process and the results. Mad God has a minimalistic storyline while also having tons in there, but the beauty of its film is not in that. The film is like discovering a world, underground, one where the protagonist discovers it at the same as he serves as a sort of guide through it for the viewer. The way Tippet puts all of this together, with a bit of live action here and there, is fascinating to watch. 

Now, this is where the cast would normally be listed and a mini-review of their work would be done, but in this film, the lead is The Assassin, a stop-motion animated marvel, and his presence is the center of everything. He lives the film, guides the viewer, and serves as an eye on this world created by Tippet. This character is everything and all that goes down on the screen is in relation to him. The way he is animated and brought to life is just stunning. His character is a part of this universe and the perfect guide to it. 

Now, this stunning stop-motion animation, this is what this film is all about. Fans of the technique will adore this movie. It is dark though, very very dark, so it won’t be for all audiences, especially not for children. Mad God is a film that proves that well-done animation is something that is more than worth checking out and more than worth producing in a world of mostly cookie-cutter cinema. This work here shows attention to detail, patience, talent, and so much more. It shows what passion can do when paired with a high capacity for creativity. The film is dark, the animation is darker, the stop-motion is more than on point here. A few minutes into the film, it’s easy to forget that this is a stop-motion world and when the humans show up here and there, they feel out of place almost, like some sort of entity encroaching on this world created by man.  

Mad God is a stunning piece of cinema and an amazing piece of stop-motion animation. This is how you do horror and darkness with a serious touch of dark whimsy. This is the kind of film fans will want to get to see on the biggest screen possible to see as much detail as possible.