--- title: "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on" critics_score: 78 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2022): what the critics said Critics' score 78 from 10 reviews: 7 positive, 3 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics warm to Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, and the spread is narrow: seven positive, three mixed, none hostile. The praise clusters around the same few things. Jenny Slate’s vocal performance is repeatedly singled out for carrying the character’s odd way of seeing the world, and Isabella Rossellini’s grandmother Connie is named by several as the film’s emotional centre. The mix of stop-motion with live-action footage draws admiration for its handcrafted feel, and most reviews note that the treatment of grief, loneliness and dementia lands harder than a talking shell has any right to. The reservations cluster too. The Telegraph finds it verging on American kitsch and sentimentality, Screen Daily thinks the conceit is thin at feature length and undeniably twee, and The New York Times judges the expansion from the shorts only partly successful. Slant, otherwise admiring, calls the ending too neat and abrupt. Nobody dislikes it; the argument is about how much sweetness one sitting can bear. ## The AV Club — Courtney Howard Rating A. 22 June 2022. The critic calls it a life-affirming, super charming and sweet-natured journey that layers tenderness with comedy without being cloying or twee. It praises the vulnerable examination of personal themes through the tiny protagonist's story and the effective blend of humor and pathos. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/marcel-shell-shoes-on-review-jenny-slate-dean-fleischer-1849079916) ## Slant Magazine — Derek Smith Rating 3.5/4. 18 June 2022. The critic notes that the film convincingly proves bigger sometimes is better by expanding the shorts' world with meta elements about fame and personal growth while retaining intimacy. It singles out the effective addition of Connie and emotional resonance but complains that the ending is too neat and abrupt. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on-review/) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 24 June 2022. The critic finds the film gentle and sweet without being twee or precious, using its mockumentary style and disarming simplicity to deliver an unexpectedly moving story about belonging, an individual’s place in the world, and relationships. It singles out the effervescence and unassuming delicacy that eases viewers into emotional depth. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-a24s-marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on.html) ## Little White Lies — Michael Leader Rating 3/4/4. 16 February 2023. The critic finds the feature debut effortlessly charming and an offbeat addition to the year's animation slate. They single out Jenny Slate's vocal performance as capturing the character's inimitable worldview perfectly. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on) ## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen Rating 4/5. 16 February 2023. The critic calls the film sweet but never saccharine and says an hour and a half in Marcel’s company leaves viewers transformed. They single out its visual inventiveness, warmth, peppery wit and the way it handles themes of dementia, loneliness and heartbreak. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on-2023) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2021. Festival review. The critic finds the feature entertaining company but notes the thinness of the conceit at feature length and that it is undeniably twee and fairly protracted. They single out Isabella Rossellini’s addition as the secret weapon and Slate’s endearing vocal performance. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on-telluride-review/5162909.article) ## The Telegraph — Robbie Collin Rating 3/5. 16 February 2023. The live-action/stop-motion hybrid has charm but verges on American kitsch and muesli-and-sunbeams sentimentality. Much of the film is taken up with the shell chatting open-endedly about everyday struggles. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/marcel-shoes-child-friendly-tale-verges-american-kitsch/) ## Empire — John Nugent 14 February 2023. The critic finds the film a minor miracle that elicits unexpected emotion from a tiny shell character. They single out the seamless blend of stop-motion animation with live-action footage and its thoughtful handling of grief and community. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on/) ## Financial Times — Leslie Felperin Rating ★★★★☆. 16 February 2023. The wistful and funny Oscar-nominated film feels strange yet comfortingly familiar, with a beautiful final act that is tender but never twee. Adept comic timing and playful use of scale stand out. [Read the review](https://www.ft.com/content/8424b0d7-c463-47c0-83d2-00719e9a46da) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang 23 June 2022. Even at feature length the film proves see-worthy, with shrewd choices that preserve the comic wonderment and handcrafted feel while adding emotional depth through the grandmother character. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-06-23/marcel-the-shell-review-with-shoes-on-a24) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw 15 February 2023. The quirky stop-motion film about a tiny talking shell should be irritating but is instead funny, beguiling and heartwarming. The convincing odd-couple rapport between the director character and Marcel creates real sweetness and charm. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/feb/15/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on-review-dean-fleischer-camp-jenny-slate) ## The i Paper — Christina Newland 17 February 2023. The critic calls the film wonderfully oddball and surprisingly moving, praising its genuine charm and belly-laugh funny moments despite the twee premise. They single out its earnest, unpredictable stop-motion details and subtle exploration of loss and family. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on-review-wonderfully-oddball-and-surprisingly-moving-2150177) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody 1 July 2022. The film is a dazzlingly clever blend of live action and stop-motion animation. It balances cloying sentimentality with imaginative vigor and a wry perspective. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis 23 June 2022. The feature-length expansion from the popular shorts is only partly successful. The transition from YouTube fame dilutes some of the original charm and whimsy. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/23/movies/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on-review.html) ## The Times — Kevin Maher Rating ★★★★☆. 17 February 2023. The deeply eccentric indie animation instantly ranks Marcel alongside great animated child protagonists like Bambi. It is deftly done and unexpectedly moving, balancing Morph-like energy with Zen ruminations. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on-review-morph-meets-a-zen-philosophy-lecture-957zp9bgb) ## Collider — Ross Bonaime Rating A-. 20 June 2022. The critic calls it one of the most precious, inventive, and lovely films of the year, praising its massive heart and ability to expand the shorts into a story about loss, celebrity, and new beginnings through Marcel's eyes. They single out the touching relationship between Marcel and his grandmother Connie for its care and compassion. [Read the review](https://collider.com/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on-review-jenny-slate/) ## Polygon — katie-rife Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 24 June 2022. The critic finds the mockumentary wistful, gentle, and life-affirming, praising how it captures the experience of being small with humor and a unique perspective. They single out Marcel's casually profound observations and the film's soothing quality reminiscent of My Neighbor Totoro. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/23180701/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on-review-my-neighbor-totoro/) ## The Skinny — Rory Doherty Rating 3/5. 13 February 2023. The critic finds the film charming and emotional, praising its animation and well-rounded characterization of Marcel, while noting it avoids being too saccharine. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on) ## Paste — Tara Bennett Rating 9.0. 28 June 2022. The critic describes it as a delicate, whimsical, and poignant escape that makes viewers feel stronger, highlighting its emotional payoffs and the way it breathes life into inanimate objects. They single out the quiet, resonant performance by Isabella Rossellini as Connie for elevating the film to another level of poignancy. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/jenny-slate/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on-review) ## The Wrap 23 June 2022. Festival review. The critic finds the film a gentle, charming and ultimately comforting experience that feels like a cinematic hug. They single out the way the filmmakers use stop-motion and a childlike sense of play to explore themes of grief and loneliness. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on-review-jenny-slate/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on.md