"Alma" is a 5-minute animated short film from 6 years ago and was written and directed by Rodrigo Blaas, an animator who has worked on quite a few fairly famous film already. Here he shows us how an interesting idea can be made into a convincing movie. A little girl sees a doll of herself in the window of a toy shop and goes inside to take a closer looks. However, the constant disappearing and reappearing of the doll shows us that something's not right and same goes for the creepy music. My favorite part, however, was the boy on the bike who tried to get outside repeatedly. It all makes perfect sense looking at the final plot twist. I enjoyed watching this one. I also liked that it did not go longer than it had to. It's a very essential film that is, despite the animation, not for very young audiences. Thumbs up, I recommend it.
11 Reviews
Scary kids film!
noamoskaljov11 October 2016
My god do I remember this! This is a movie me and my friend saw on a Croatian zoo-week, Divlje ljeto, or on English Wild Summer. Every lunch we would get sandwiches and chocolate, and watch short films we found on YouTube. Well, Alma was one of them. When we watched it, we FREAKED OUT! I didn't sleep alone for 2 weeks! I still sometimes get that touchy feel, even right now, as I'm reviewing this, that a doll of myself is right behind me, trying to get me possess it. I went to Wild Summer in 2012, and then, in 2016, I have finally decided to watch it again. And the experience was not at all different. Of course, now I wasn't a scaredy cat as before, cuz now I'm used to horror, but it was as creepy to me. If you love scary animations, like Coraline or The Nightmare Before Christmas, I think you could watch it. But, if you don't like creepy things, stay away from this!
Haunting Story, but Visually Bland
ericfeichthaler8 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This is a somewhat frightening short film. Though the story is somewhat predictable, it still hits hard at the end. SPOILERS AHEAD: This is about a girl named Alma (which means "soul" in Spanish) who sees a doll in a store and enters to get or buy it. At a point. A doll on a bike moves toward the exit which obviously implies that he is a trapped person. When Alma ends up with the same fate, it is scary. The very end shows another doll being made for the next unsuspecting child. The story does follow many cliches, but it is still decently effective with good music. My issue, however, is the animation. It obviously has very little budget, but the cheap vibe still somewhat undermines the creepy tone. To add to this, the design of the girl is actually scarier than the doll. She looks a bit off and that is my biggest issue. Granted, this is only 5 minutes and is definitely something that won't waste too much of your time. You should check it out.
Effectively creepy short aside from a misjudged tone at the very end (SPOILERS)
bob the moo22 February 2014
Warning: Spoilers
This short film opens with a young girl writing her name on a wall opposite a shop when she notices a doll in the window that is dressed a bit like her and looks a bit like her. She goes to the shop window to explore closer. At this opening point of the film the music is jaunty and the tone is light which leads us the viewers to believe that this is just simply a sweet little tale of a girl and her doll. This continues as we enter the shop filled with dolls and bright colors and generally everything feels safe and the CGI animation is welcoming and warm and professional like Pixar.
The strength of this short is that it draws you into this really well and it is only around the midpoint where something appears too good to be true about it. The tone doesn't change with the music but rather the fairytale perfectness of it just is done to a point where it feels too manufactured, too tempting to a child just like the gingerbread house of old. The doll on a bike bashing itself against the door suddenly doesn't feel like it is just to do with the motor or the direction of travel, but more like a deliberate action and no sooner do we start to feel this that the reveal occurs.
The image of the shop from inside the doll's eyes is creepy and the rapid movement and slightly panicked air really sums up the horror of the situation. This is mostly continued as the camera pulls back on the other dolls but for me this is also an unfortunate misstep because the film then uses the rather jaunty music of the opening. I understand the goal, because the film is asserting that this is business as normal and decides to move onto show the next child being setup for an eternity trapped like in a seeing coma, but for me I wanted that horror to continue and I don't think the film allowed that long enough to sit on the viewer.
This misstep aside though, the build-up is really well done and the animation is really of a high standard. I liked the fairytale perfection feel to it and the reveal really hit me because it didn't make it obvious too soon before it hits. I would have liked a different ending but otherwise this was a really good short.
The strength of this short is that it draws you into this really well and it is only around the midpoint where something appears too good to be true about it. The tone doesn't change with the music but rather the fairytale perfectness of it just is done to a point where it feels too manufactured, too tempting to a child just like the gingerbread house of old. The doll on a bike bashing itself against the door suddenly doesn't feel like it is just to do with the motor or the direction of travel, but more like a deliberate action and no sooner do we start to feel this that the reveal occurs.
The image of the shop from inside the doll's eyes is creepy and the rapid movement and slightly panicked air really sums up the horror of the situation. This is mostly continued as the camera pulls back on the other dolls but for me this is also an unfortunate misstep because the film then uses the rather jaunty music of the opening. I understand the goal, because the film is asserting that this is business as normal and decides to move onto show the next child being setup for an eternity trapped like in a seeing coma, but for me I wanted that horror to continue and I don't think the film allowed that long enough to sit on the viewer.
This misstep aside though, the build-up is really well done and the animation is really of a high standard. I liked the fairytale perfection feel to it and the reveal really hit me because it didn't make it obvious too soon before it hits. I would have liked a different ending but otherwise this was a really good short.
It is both cute and creepy
Rectangular_businessman2 June 2012
Warning: Spoilers
It starts as a something completely innocent and cute, and then, there is a very, very dark twist that at first seems as something borrowed from a supernatural thriller or a horror story.
At first, this combination of cute and dark elements seems a bit strange, but it also makes me remember several fairy tales and cautionary stories that I used to hear when I was a kid, having plenty of macabre and sinister elements.
In many ways, "Alma" made me think about all those stories from my childhood. If a viewer pays attention carefully, there are some hints from the beginning of the short that, underneath the entire cute surface, there is something very dark going on. And that's what makes this so effective.
At first, this combination of cute and dark elements seems a bit strange, but it also makes me remember several fairy tales and cautionary stories that I used to hear when I was a kid, having plenty of macabre and sinister elements.
In many ways, "Alma" made me think about all those stories from my childhood. If a viewer pays attention carefully, there are some hints from the beginning of the short that, underneath the entire cute surface, there is something very dark going on. And that's what makes this so effective.
Just a Bit of Twilight Zone
Hitchcoc26 July 2019
The beauty of this little film is the incredible creations of the dolls and the little girl. Her face is so expressive as she ponders the mysteries of the shop. She never wavers in coming into a place where there is no human element and we adults are suffering internally, knowing that something is coming. We ask, "What is this place"? We also suddenly become aware of the wall where Alma adds her name to countless other names. Wow!
Short and memorable
robinhio84_29 November 2020
One of the best shorts I have seen. Thought provoking and very well done. Great animation and dark instead of "Disney" happy. It even inspired an Indian short, which I was instantly reminded off. Would be great to see this turn into a longer feature film. Sign me up!
memories
Kirpianuscus27 August 2016
a girl. and the window of a doll shop. a door opened after a first failed attempt. and a lot of dolls. a film who, at the first level, reminds a lot of old classic fairy tales, few Gothic literature ,few page of books about magic, giving a beautiful example of animation. at the second sigh, a magnificent story. because its end defines the importance of each small detail. the wall with names, the boy searching escape, the snow and the thin line between fiction and reality. and Alma is the perfect image of the curiosity, naivety, life as game and innocence. the fascination of Alma front the doll remains the most seductive detail. because it reminds images from the childhood of viewer. because it is lovely symbol of desire. and the world as a version of fairy tale.
This is a story of a little girl.
ih-n145 August 2013
When Alma is walking on the street, she finds a doll which is similar to her in a toy store. The clothes which the doll wears are same as Alma, and the doll's hair style is same as her. She is interested in the doll, and she enters a store. She experiences many strange things.
This is an animation film. I love this story. That is odd and a little scary. However I enjoyed the movie so much. I like the characters, the tone and the color. The girl's name is Alma. She is a curious girl and she is tomboy. I love her. The ending is so unexpected. I was really surprised, however the scene is intriguing. I like the scene the best.
I recommend you to watch this film. This film began to be one of my favorite movies. I love the story and the characters. I hope you will enjoy the movie.
This is an animation film. I love this story. That is odd and a little scary. However I enjoyed the movie so much. I like the characters, the tone and the color. The girl's name is Alma. She is a curious girl and she is tomboy. I love her. The ending is so unexpected. I was really surprised, however the scene is intriguing. I like the scene the best.
I recommend you to watch this film. This film began to be one of my favorite movies. I love the story and the characters. I hope you will enjoy the movie.
Nice little CGI animated fantasy.
poolandrews9 April 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Alma starts as a small child named Alma plays in the narrow snow covered streets of a small town & notices a doll that looks almost exactly like her in a shop window, it has the same clothes, the same hair & exactly the same features. Intrigued Alma decides to enter the shop & take a closer look, inside the shop is empty but she sees the doll on a shelf & approaches it...
This American & Spanish co-production was written & directed by Rodrigo Blaas & is a short little fantasy CGI computer animated fantasy that has a good central premise even if it's all rather ambiguous & the twist ending didn't quite grab my attention as much as it might have, to be honest it's fairly predictable but at only five minutes & thirty seconds long you won't exactly have to cancel all your plans for the evening if you want to see it, will you? There is no dialogue at all & nothing that happens has any sort of explanation but it's watchable enough in a cute & almost creepy sort of way. Alma is the sort of thing that will depend on ones own personal taste, whether you need everything explained or whether you need lots of action or or whether you can't take 'cartoons' seriously or whether you can just sit down & watch something that is pure fantasy & just go with it.
The CGI computer animation is great, maybe not quite up to Pixar levels & the Toy Story films but certainly nothing to be embarrassed about. The central character is cute enough yet realistic enough at the same time, the dolls inside the mysterious shop also have faint air of creepiness about them even though they don't particularly do anything significant. There is no violence, no gore & very little happens but it has a certain charm about it.
Alma is a neat little five & a half minute animation with a fantasy based story that I liked well enough, there's not much more to say as there's not much more to it. Impressive animation, too.
This American & Spanish co-production was written & directed by Rodrigo Blaas & is a short little fantasy CGI computer animated fantasy that has a good central premise even if it's all rather ambiguous & the twist ending didn't quite grab my attention as much as it might have, to be honest it's fairly predictable but at only five minutes & thirty seconds long you won't exactly have to cancel all your plans for the evening if you want to see it, will you? There is no dialogue at all & nothing that happens has any sort of explanation but it's watchable enough in a cute & almost creepy sort of way. Alma is the sort of thing that will depend on ones own personal taste, whether you need everything explained or whether you need lots of action or or whether you can't take 'cartoons' seriously or whether you can just sit down & watch something that is pure fantasy & just go with it.
The CGI computer animation is great, maybe not quite up to Pixar levels & the Toy Story films but certainly nothing to be embarrassed about. The central character is cute enough yet realistic enough at the same time, the dolls inside the mysterious shop also have faint air of creepiness about them even though they don't particularly do anything significant. There is no violence, no gore & very little happens but it has a certain charm about it.
Alma is a neat little five & a half minute animation with a fantasy based story that I liked well enough, there's not much more to say as there's not much more to it. Impressive animation, too.
creepy. and little more
Vincentiu26 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
a girl. a dolls shop. and the adventure. a beautiful animation. inspired music, inspired colors, dark story. a parable about the thin line between reality and fiction. delicate and seductive, cold and bitter, it reminds many old stories, fears and searches. its virtue - the fascination who transforms the viewer in new Alma. the details - the boy toy bicycling, the snow, the wall, the crumbs of memories about Coraline and, sure, the special feeling who represents mixture between fear and fascination. a film for more wise adults. and for remember the force of temptation.must see it. not only as beautiful animation. but as a kind of experience. or wake - up.
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