Memoir of a Snail

Memoir of a Snail (2024) is a stop-motion animated tragicomedy written and directed by Adam Elliot, known for his distinctive "clayography" style. The film follows Grace Pudel, a socially anxious hoarder who writes confessional letters to her pet snail while reflecting on a lifetime of grief, loss, abandonment, and awkward triumph. After being separated from her twin brother and growing up in a dysfunctional home, Grace retreats further into herself, clinging to memories, broken relationships, and her obsession with snails. Told with Elliot’s signature blend of melancholic humor and deeply personal emotion, the story spans decades of Grace’s life, gradually revealing a woman trying to rebuild herself from the trauma of her past. The animation was created using handcrafted clay models and miniature sets, shot across over 200 scenes in 135,000 frames. Elliot's storytelling remains both emotionally raw and gently humorous, bolstered by a stellar voice performance from Sarah Snook as Grace and Jacki Weaver as Pinky. The film balances bleak subject matter—abuse, alcoholism, mental illness—with empathy, dark comedy, and authentic tenderness. The stop-motion style amplifies this intimacy, immersing the viewer in Grace’s quiet, cluttered world. Premiering at the 2024 Annecy International Animation Festival, Memoir of a Snail won the Cristal Award for Best Feature Film, launching its critical momentum. It went on to screen at major festivals including Ottawa, Mill Valley, and BFI London, receiving wide acclaim. The film grossed $7.6 million worldwide against a modest $4.5 million budget, and performed especially well during its limited theatrical run in Australia and the United States, with a strong per-theater average upon release. Critics praised the film’s emotional maturity, visual craftsmanship, and narrative depth. It holds a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes and was hailed as one of the best animated films of the year. Reviewers highlighted Snook’s performance and Elliot’s ability to turn loneliness into something cathartic and poetic. Its handling of adult themes through animation was noted as bold and overdue in the medium. The film received nominations for Best Animated Feature at the 2025 Academy Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and Annie Awards, and won multiple AACTA Awards including Best Animated Film and Best Voice Acting (Sarah Snook). Its legacy is already forming around its role in the resurgence of adult-oriented stop-motion animation and its affirmation that animation can explore complex, painful themes without resorting to fantasy or spectacle.